The Road to Freedom
by jh134
Summary: Re-imagining of the main Fallout storyline from a new character's perspective. Jae Hendricks is an orphan with a troubled past when Deacon meets her, introducing her to a life of purpose. Along her journey; Jae will discover more about the Commonwealth and herself than she ever thought possible. Including characters from the game, and of course, smut in future chapters. *Duh! ; )*
1. Chapter 1

_Ok-so I'm trying a new concept for this story here. I'm thinking on trying to make this one longer and more detailed. I'm following a new story line with a character created by yours truly; and her adventures with a certain Railroad Agent. This story line will take place before and parallel to the main storyline-so SPOILER ALERT if you have not completed the main storyline._

 _I wrote Deacon the way I would see him in this "real-world" scenario. Of course we will get to see the laughing, charismatic Deacon later on; but given the seriousness of his mission-I made him a more serious-type character. The real Deacon is mysterious and unpredictable, and I doubt anyone has ever really gotten a chance to meet him. This is one of the main reasons I like him so much. With his variety of characteristics, he is someone who can be seen and interpreted in many different ways._

 _Of course-I will most certainly have some romance in this one (duh...it's all I'm good at) but that will come later in my little world. It's gonna be a slow build people-but when it happens-I promise I won't disappoint. I'm gonna try to work really hard on this one and upload new chapters as often as I can. Lately my inspiration comes in spurts with longer and longer breaks in between. And this will be especially hard for me since this new character doesn't actually exist and I have to create a whole new story line for her._

 _I greatly appreciate everyone who is currently following my writing, and anyone who likes my work! Your continued support is what keeps me writing and I love it! I hope not to disappoint in the future as I will probably be writing this one for some time yet._

 _I know there are a few of my current stories that have not yet been finished-know that I didn't forget about them. (Inspiration in spurts, remember) I just couldn't get this current story out of my head so I had to publish. I will continue to update my other stories as well._

 _So I hope you enjoy this new creation of mine and as always-please leave a comment if you are able. Even bad reviews are appreciated; not everyone has the same opinions so it is nice to know if there was something you would rather I do different. Or if you notice a problem with my story let me know. Thanks everyone again-and here we go!_


	2. Chapter 2

**_Chapter One: So It Begins_**

 _All my life, I had been told not to be afraid. 'Don't be afraid,' my mother would say. 'If those Raiders come here-they won't get to us.' Well, the Raiders did come, and I tried not to be afraid. Even as my parents pushed me into the little hidden crawlspace of our home and I saw the fear in my mother's eyes...I tried. My father hugged me and my mother kissed my cheek. 'See you soon,' they promised. But soon would never come. I heard their screams but I did not hear their end. I was ten years old, and I was afraid._

 _The nights that followed when I was all alone I was afraid. Sitting crunched in a little ball hiding from the creatures that stalked the wasteland. I wept silently, the tears washing the dirt from my face. For weeks I wandered this way, surviving off scraps and whatever I managed to find. One night, starved and desperate, I wandered into a caravaneer's camp. The smell of the meat cooking over the fire overpowering my fear. There could have been Death himself waiting for me-but fate had other plans._

 _The caravan leader was a kind man who took me in-raised me as his own. He taught me the ways of his world; and for six years we traveled and traded all across the Commonwealth. This was my new world, and wherever Old Sully was became my home. When the Raiders came again I was afraid, but I now knew how to fight. The caravan guards were strong-but they were no match for a force of ten men. Our sad fate became painfully obvious. When Old Sully hoisted me onto the back of one of his Brahmin I knew that it was over, that I would lose another loved one. With one sad final look he spurred the beast on, carrying me away from the fight...away from the danger. I was alone again...and I was afraid._

 _I made it to Bunker Hill, a familiar stop for me and where I eventually set up shop. Five years later and I find myself in a comfortable routine. Travelers come and go... supplies change from day to day. The network of traders I had helped build all those years with Old Sully managed to keep my little shop open. I had somehow made it this far, and every night I would crawl into my bed and remember their faces-everyone I had lost. I knew I had to be strong for them. I knew I had to survive to make their sacrifice worthwhile. My name is Jae Hendricks-and I am no longer afraid._

* * *

Jae listened to the soft hum of her terminal as she re-read over the lines she had written. It was late, and her eyes were tired from a long day's use. It had taken her over a year to save up enough caps for this terminal. It was supposed to be for helping her keep inventory, and to utilize the limited network of messaging between the vendors of Bunker Hill. But as she sat down that night; her mind strayed away from the wrinkled notepad of stocks, sales and orders and to the "Personal Entry" option. For some reason she felt the need to tell her story. What followed became like the written word dump of the inner workings of her mind. She remembered every detail of her young life; and she purposely chose to leave out a thing or two. If she ever let anyone read this she preferred not to have all the gory details known.

Her eyelids were drooping and the words on the screen began to blur together. Jae sighed and switched off the machine. After a quick check to make sure the door to her shack was locked and secure; she climbed the short ladder to the "upstairs" portion of her little home. It wasn't much, but it was hers and she had worked hard for it. She combed through her long brown hair as best as she could with her fingers and worked it into a hasty braid. She slipped out of her clothes and tucked herself under the covers. She saw them all: mom, dad, Sully, old friends and neighbors. She recited their names to herself and gave a silent goodnight before leaning over and blowing out the lantern by her bed.

* * *

It was another typical day. She emerged from her bed early and quickly set up shop under the awning outside her home. Some of the guards walked by and nodded to her as she worked. By mid-day the caravans would arrive and serious trading would commence. Right now there were the few residents of the town and a handful of travelers just passing through. Thanks to her years of experience-Jae knew how to drive a hard bargain. Caps were not easy to come by; and she made sure she never parted with more than she had to. Her prices were fair, and her stock was considered a collection of pretty much anything. What she had on hand sold well-and what she didn't have she could easily find. Some nights when the market was closed she would sneak out through the town's back door to scour the surrounding buildings. She had learned quickly how to be careful, and her stealth capabilities managed to save her life on more then one occasion.

A familiar caravan made it's way into town. Jae watched with a smile growing on her face as it's leader made her way over to her stall.

"Hey Cricket! Haven't seen you in a while! How's things?" The gaunt form that was Cricket leaned casually on her counter and started fiddling with a toy car on display. Her light colored hood shading her eyes from the morning's sun, and her lithe frame loosely wrapped in her torn traveling coat. Cricket always had a look like she was malnourished, and a strange temperament that not everyone was able to appreciate.

"Oh you know-life's one big adventure for me. How's the game?" The wheels of the toy car spun loudly on the warped tabletop. Jae shrugged and brushed some dust off a box of Sugar Bombs.

"Can't complain. Some regulars I see every day. Not a lot of new faces lately. Guess the roads are getting a bit too dangerous out there." Cricket nodded and looked away absently. "You're right about that." She muttered; and was suddenly quiet a bit while she was fidgeting. Jae looked at her friend confused.

"What you mean by that?" She asked out of curiosity. Cricket didn't say anything right away but kept staring out into the distance.

"Say-" she started, changing the subject, "can I have this here toy car?" Turning back her way suddenly.

"What do you need an old child's toy for?" Cricket just shrugged and kept playing.

"No reason-I just want it that's all." Jae eyed her a moment before shaking her head.

"All right, 5 caps." She told her with a smile. As Cricket turned to retrieve the payment from the pack along her side, Jae noticed the new face among her entourage. His short black hair was covered with a dirty brown cap, and he wore a green flannel shirt with a patched jean jacket. As he turned to look her way she saw the sunlight glint off the aviator sunglasses he wore.

"Hey," she whispered, leaning in closer to her friend. "Who's the new muscle?" Cricket turned quickly to glance over her shoulder and then back.

"Well-Stanley didn't work out. Got his head blown off in a bar fight. Picked this guy up in Diamond City. Said he was a good merc." She shrugged and handed over the caps. "Why-you looking for some fun?" Cricket asked her with a mischievous smile. Jae scoffed and shook her head.

"You know me Cricket. Never can keep my curiosity in check." She glanced over her friend's shoulder again to catch another look. The way he stood and held his rifle suggested he'd had some practice. He was tall, with a strong build and steady stance. He glanced her way again and nodded, and she realized she had been staring. She blushed a little with embarrassment and impulsively smoothed her bangs behind her ears and looked away.

"So anyway, Cricket. You got any new toys I can look at? Been thinking about a new gun for my little adventures." The change in her friend's face was immediate. It was like someone had lit a light bulb behind her eyes as she smiled.

"Ohhh...I got some special ones for ya! Just stopped by Goodneighbor and stocked up. Found some niceys guaranteed to thrill and chill!" Jae looked through her stock and picked out a new combat rifle with glow sights, a few dozen rounds of ammunition and a flashlight that still had some good use in it. When they were finished, she waved to her friend as she sidled away to some of the other vendors. The mysterious stranger glanced her way again-then followed silently. Something about him got her attention. He didn't seem like he belonged somehow. She figured she was gonna have to ask around about him later. If there was one thing she couldn't control in her life; it was her insatiable curiosity.

The day was quickly nearing it's end and the vendors started closing up their stalls. Jae had made a decent amount off her supplies, and she was in desperate need of a restock. she waited until most of the residents had retired for the night, then changed into her dark army coat and piled her messy hair up into a baseball cap. She slung her pack over her shoulder and waited by her closed door, holding her breath. There was only one way to get those supplies she needed; she was gonna need to leave the city.

She was pretty good at scavenging what she could and had been sneaking outside of the protective walls of Bunker Hill for some time now. That's how she was able to keep her stall stocked. It was risky, she knew; but she kept doing it anyway. They usually closed the front gate a few hours after nightfall, so she would have to wait until the coast was clear and sneak out the back. Peering out of the small crack of her door she watched as the guards made their rounds. They passed her door and she waited until the sounds of their footsteps faded out. It was time.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 2-Night-time Adventures**_

In the flickering lamplight she slipped outside and made her way to the backdoor a few yards away. Glancing anxiously over her shoulder, she tugged a bobby pin off the brim of her hat and went to work on the lock of the door. It was easy-only took her about 30 seconds. She heard the satisfying "click" of release and gently eased the door open. With one final look over her shoulder, she slipped out into the night.

She moved lightly, picking her steps carefully and darting from one cover to another. She had to get about twenty yards away, out of sight and sound of the guards before she felt she could walk a little faster. She settled into an easy step-scanning her surroundings for any possible threats. Most of the nearby buildings had been stripped of any useful materials long ago, and she knew she would have to expand her search area. She needed new hunting grounds.

Jae made her way through the desolate landscape of wrecked cars and piles of debris. She glanced nervously up at the crumbled facades of buildings watching carefully for any movement, listening for any sound. She never knew what to expect on these little trips of hers. Sometimes she would return unscathed; pack full and no hint of danger. Some nights she was only able to scout out one location before having to quickly return. She had learned long ago how to sneak cautiously throughout the wastes without making much sound. She used this ability to sneak in and out of many a tight situation. Jae paused by an burned-out truck, thinking she had heard something. Except for the slight breeze whistling through the busted windows the city was quiet. She breathed a sigh of relief and continued on.

After a few blocks she quietly turned down an alleyway she hadn't been down before. I was lined with the back entrances to shops and dead ended at what looked like an apartment building. This building was about four floors high and had a fire escape that led up to the roof. She stopped and listened hard for any sounds of movement; but the building was quiet and no lights shone in the windows. Jae cautiously slid the strap of her new weapon off her shoulder and eased forwards. The two lower levels of the building looked boarded up; so the only way in was to go up. She chewed nervously on her lip as she deliberated her options. _There's gotta be some good loot in there...looks quiet...C'mon Jae-you need the stuff..._ In the end, her curiosity overpowered her better judgment and she pressed on.

The ladder had long ago broken off the side of the building just above the second floor window. Jae took in the building's face and realized there were enough holes in it's walls to allow her to scale up it's side to the fire escape. She stood below and stared up at the old metal stairs that criss-crossed their way up and thought: _Piece of cake._

She gingerly took a handful of concrete dust from one of the holes and used it to dry her already sweaty palms. She climbed slowly-taking her time to find her footing. Her heart pounded noisily in her chest but she kept her breathing steady as she picked her way up the twenty or so feet to what remained of the fire ladder. After about ten minutes she landed gently on the rusted metal. The creaks and moans from the old fastenings made her pause momentarily. _Oh shit-don't tell me after all that this thing's gonna fall out from under me!_ She waited a little while longer and when nothing more happened, she cautiously pressed on.

Her senses were on high alert as she climbed the stairs to an open window in the third floor. The night was still and the moonlight shone brightly but did little to illuminate much inside. She looked around once more before slipping quietly inside. It was dark, and she pulled her new weapon from the holster on her back. She had taped the little flashlight to the underside of the barrel and she switched that on. The tiny light flickered to life revealing what used to be a bedroom of some sort. The bed was ruined, but a small dresser stood near the door on he far side of the room. Jae went to it and cautiously opened the drawers. Aside from a few torn up clothes and a burned book there was nothing much of any value. She closed the drawers and pressed on.

Down the hall and a few rooms later she came to a locked door. She made quick work of it and quietly pressed the heavy door open. Inside was a small room-like a broom closet, that was slightly lit up by a small window high up on the wall that let in some moonlight. She found some soap and rat poison she could use and a box with some light bulbs that only about half were broken. She wrapped these into an old cloth and tucked them into her bag. She was turning to leave when her light glinted off a large metal safe tucked into the corner. _Jackpot!_ She thought excitedly. Jae crossed over to it and knelt down. She eagerly began working at the pretty impressive lock on it's face. This was a tricky one. She cursed to herself as she broke her second bobby pin and was close to giving up. After a few minutes of work she heard the satisfying "click" of the tumblers pulling back. Triumphantly-she spun the wheel and swung open the heavy metal door.

Her patience sure paid off. This was like the motherload in here! There were a couple small stacks of pre-war money, a silver locket and hairbrush and a fancy looking teapot. To top it all off-she found a practically brand-new 10 mm handgun complete with at least four boxes of ammo. Jae had to physically stop herself from whooping in excitement at her killer find. She looked around nervously before she started to unload the contents of the safe into her already half-full bag. When she finished, she stood and padded lightly out of the room and down the hall towards the stairs leading up. Her new flashlight flickered a bit and sputtered slightly. _"_ Crap...not now..." She whispered to herself and smacked the plastic slightly against her palm a few times. The defective bulb blinked once more and finally went out.

"Son of a-" she started, then looked up and immediately stopped cold. She was facing the stairwell leading to the top floor. Now that it was dark around her she could see that hers wasn't the only light on in this building. The faint orange glow dancing off the walls of the stairwell told her as much. Jae held her breath and felt an icy chill run down her spine. She didn't know who was up there-but she wasn't about to find out.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter Three: A Meeting**_

Jae started to back slowly down the hall towards her way out. In her haste-she didn't notice the metal bucket against the wall behind her. Her foot collided with it's surface, sending it clattering a few feet down the hall. _Ffffuuuccccckkkk..._

"What the fuck was that?" An angry voice sounded out. Jae was suddenly filled with panic. She heard footsteps coming from somewhere above her.

"Stay here-I'll go check it out." Another voice answered. Fear gripped her every muscle and she found she couldn't move for a few seconds. As the footsteps reached the stairwell she shook herself from her frozen state and turned to run. Whoever it was must have heard her and suddenly hollered: "Who's down there? Show yourself!" It was a man's voice, and he sounded far from friendly. Her eyes darted around for a quick escape, the way she had come in was too far down the hall. She'd have a bullet in her back before she even reached the doorway. Her only option was the broom closet she was just in. She ran inside just as the man upstairs rounded the corner and started down towards her. She pushed the door closed gently and ducked back as far as she could in the small room.

"Come on out-I won't hurt ya..." she heard. _Yeah-right._ She thought as she leveled her rifle at the closed door. Her heart pounded hard against her ribs and her hands were shaking as she crouched near the back of the room. The footsteps were getting closer and she tried like hell to steady her breathing. She knew that whoever came through that door-she was going to have to defend herself. While she waited, she felt something close by her in the dimly lit room. Before she could react-she felt a hand clamp down on her mouth from behind and another pull her down into a sitting position. She squealed a little in surprise as she fell back; her gun slipped from her fingers as she reached up and grasped at the hands holding her still.

Jae panicked, and quickly looked up at the face of her captor. He was familiar...brown hat...worn jean jacket... _Holy shit! The guy from the market! What the hell was he doing here?_ He stared at her steadily in the pale moonlight and pressed a finger to his lips, telling her to be quiet. She was terrified but she obeyed; and he slowly removed his hand from her mouth. The footsteps outside had slowed and were getting louder-any minute now and they would be discovered. The stranger reached down to retrieve her weapon and placed it back into her hands; pulling his own at the same time. He looked at her seriously and she nodded-seeming to understand what he was telling her. The man from upstairs stopped right outside their closed door. Time seemed to stop. Then, the stranger suddenly pulled out a Stealth Boy and drew her close up against him. She caught her breath and he activated their shield just as the door was roughly kicked open.

Jae found herself staring up at the grizzled form of a man covered in makeshift metal armor. She immediately knew he was a Raider. Her blood ran cold at the sight of him and she instinctively shrank back. The stranger's arm pulled her tighter against him. She was so close she could hear and feel his heart beating; and she was surprised to realize it was quite a bit slower and calmer than hers. She watched as the Raider aimed his gun and scanned the room. Her heart almost stopped as his gaze passed over their invisible forms and fell on the still open safe to their right.

"Ahh...Fuck!" He cursed loudly, then turned quickly and stalked out the door. He called out as he made his way angrily down the hall. "Hey Red-bastards got to the safe! They took everything!" Just then their shield flickered out and the stranger looked down at her accusingly; then his eyes darted over to her pack. She shrugged slightly and looked away. Jae couldn't be sure-but she swore she heard him chuckle a little.

The footsteps slowly retreated towards the upper floor and the stranger motioned for her to stand up. He made his way silently to the door with her trailing along behind him. Once he verified the coast was clear, he led her out into the hallway and towards the exit. She felt like she had been holding her breath the whole time; but they were able to make it out the window and down onto solid ground without being detected. Now that they were out in the open; they sprinted down the alleyway and back towards Bunker Hill. After a few minutes she stopped to catch her breath and leaned up against a burned out car.

"Thank...you..." she gasped out as he stood there scanning their surroundings. "Really...thank you. I'm Jae by the way. Jae Hendricks." She extended her hand but was met only by a blank stare. He was quiet for a long time before he spoke.

"What the hell were you thinking?" He sounded almost angry and Jae realized this was the first time she had heard him speak.

"Excuse me?" She ground out, instantly on the defensive.

"You could have got yourself killed! You could have got us both killed!"

"Hey-I don't remember inviting you!" She spat back. Then it hit her. "Were you following me? Why?" He glanced away and shook his head.

"I saw you sneak out. I figured you were up to something." She glared up at him. With his height he was able to take a very condescending stance over her as he spoke. "It's a good thing I did too-otherwise you would have been a nice little treat for some Raiders." He finished. Jae was livid. Who the hell did he think he was?

"Well-I already thanked you for that." Jae crossed her arms and looked at him defiantly. "And if you want, I can compensate you for the Stealth Boy you used on my behalf."

"Don't worry about it." He muttered, half to himself. Then he turned quickly and walked away into the night. Jae stared after him for a minute, then followed.

"Wait! You never told me your name!" She chased after him as he rounded a corner. But when she caught up-he was gone.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter**_ _ **Four**_ : _ **Coming Home**_

He had spent most of the day blending into the crowds at the market. The caravan leader he'd signed up with had decided to stay on a few days before moving out. He'd had a drink at the bar...evesdropped on a few conversations...collected as much information as he could.

The sun had set and the stalls were closing down. He rested comfortably against the side of one of the sleeping brahmin, sunglasses still on. Those who passed him would assume he was sleeping-and that was how he wanted it. It was easier to observe people when they didn't know they were being watched. It was late, and there were few people left outside. A sudden movement caught his attention. He saw her across the way from him, about twenty yards. She crept out of her shack with her hat pulled low over her face and made her way along the back wall. He got curious. He stood up slowly and followed her just in time to see the back door to the city's walls click quietly closed. He stood there for a moment, debating. _Dammit.._ he thought to himself, and turned to snatch his rifle from his resting spot.

He had always considered himself to be a good tracker; but he had to admit that he was having a hard time picking up her trail. Once he finally caught up to her she was scaling the wall of an old apartment building down some alleyway. He knew that building-he'd seen a team of Raiders camped outside on his way into town. He silently cursed to himself and quickly followed her in.

He watched her beam of light move around the tiny broom closet from across the hall. Honestly-he was amazed she hadn't been discovered yet. He hated to admit to himself-but she might be just as good at stealth as he was. She was a very poor decision-maker; but sneaky as hell.

She made her way out of the room and he fell back against the wall. She took a few steps and her flashlight gave out. That was when they both noticed the lights at the end of the hall. He had just enough time to cross behind her and duck into the closet before she panicked. The loud clattering of that metal bucket definately made her obvious. He was just trying to think of what to do when she shuffled noisely into the closet along with him; shutting the door and trapping them in.

All in all, he thought he'd handled things pretty well. Good thing he'd had a Stealth Boy handy. Overall-he was just annoyed at what he had gotten himself into. Why did he have to follow her in the first place? He guessed there was just something about her that piqued his interest, she just didn't seem like everyone else. She was different somehow. He couldn't explain it really, but he had a gut feeling about her...and his gut was never wrong. In all his years gathering information and studying people he had found that most everyone was pretty much the same as everyone else around them. There were the rare few that stuck out and those were the ones that intrigued him the most. And of course he wasn't about to just let her walk recklessly into danger. But following her had nearly blown his cover; and for the life of him he couldn't understand why he would do that.

When he rounded the corner out of sight he hid in the shadows quickly, then waited while she wandered around looking for him. Finally, she turned away and headed back towards Bunker Hill. After some time he followed; careful to stay out of sight. Soon he had settled himself back against his snoring, smelly pillow and tried to get a few hours of sleep. He couldn't exactly pinpoint why-but he had a sneaking suspiscion he hadn't seen the last of this woman yet.

* * *

She made it safely back home and leaned against the door of her shack. The adrennaline rush from her little adventure had worn off and she was suddenly exhausted. She crawled into bed but lay awake, unable to shut her mind off. _Who was that guy? Why was he following me?_ No matter how hard she tried she couldn't get him out of her head. He _had_ saved her life after all.

When she did finally drift off to sleep her dreams were filled with dark scenarios involving the grizzled face of that Raider. Then her mysterious stranger would appear and try to save her, only to be shot down in the process. She saw him lying on the floor bleeding, but when she looked at his face he suddenly looked like her father. She woke with a start-coated in a sheen of sweat. It was still early, she could see the sky by her window lighting up with the early morning sun. She dragged herself out of her bed and sat down in front of her terminal. Still foggy from lack of sleep, she started to write.

It was about time to start her day by the time she was finished and she yawned sleepily. She reached into the crate under her desk and pulled a Nuka Cola from her secret stash. She sipped the sweet, warm liquid as she started setting up for the day's work ahead. The morning passed by slowly. She saw a few people she recognized; some settlers from a nearby farm, Old Man Stockton. Her morning passed in a kind of blur. She couldn't really concentrate on anything. She kept a lookout for that caravan guard but he was nowhere to be found. When she did see Cricket around mid-afternoon she was alone. She had decided against asking her friend about the man-she didn't want her to get the wrong idea.

It was late afternoon and business was slow. Jae decided to close early and maybe get in a scavenging run _before_ nightfall this time. She grabbed her gear and disguised herself in the long army coat and baseball cap she'd worn the night before. She looked like an average traveler-and she would be able to slip by unnoticed. She made her way through the slowly dwindling crowd towards the front gates. Keeping a watchful eye out for her mysterious friend as she did so.

Her routine had been suddenly disrupted by this strange man, and this intrigued her. She had become a decent study of body language over the years and she could tell he was a professional. His stance gave off a "don't fuck with me" vibe. But from what she could see of his features in the dark she couldn't get any read on him. He was a small dose of excitement in her otherwise calm existence, and she found herself dying to know more about him. It was a good thing she had that damn curiosity of hers. She was like a hunting hound with a scent, and she wasn't giving up any time soon.

Jae quickly slipped out the front gates and into the ruined city, keeping a watchful eye our for her new "friend" as she did so. She hadn't found him anywhere inside the walls, so maybe he had done the same thing she had. She hitched her pack on her shoulders and waked on into adventure.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter Five: Up to Her Old Tricks Again**_

Outside the gates-the ruined city was surprisingly quiet. The low hum of activity inside slowly faded away as she made her way down the crumbled street. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows along her path. She had decided to take a different, more traveled route this time. Some of these buildings might still hold some valuable items; and she would be able to make a quick getaway if need be.

She had settled into a comfortable pace and was humming quietly to herself when she suddenly heard a noise to her right. She stopped dead and listened hard. There were voices, faint-but definitely there. Jae crouched low to the ground and pulled her rifle out of it's holster. She thought vaguely about just passing on by. She should-really, whatever was going on didn't concern her. Damn her incessant curiosity! _It will just be a quick look..._ she told herself. _I'll stay out of sight and just see who it is. No harm done._ Keeping low to the ground, she picked her way over the rubble in the direction the voices were coming from.

The sun was getting lower in the sky and was darkening the surrounding areas. Jae peered anxiously over a pile of scrap metal and could see three figures moving around inside an old church. She couldn't really see them well and she was still too far away to hear what they were saying with any clarity. Against her better judgment-she found herself edging closer. She stealthily skimmed along the side of the building and listened hard. Being this close-she had no problem hearing what they were saying now.

"Headquarters is going to need a report soon. I hope you've got some valuable intel." It was a woman's voice.

"My rotation isn't over yet. I've still got some informants out there I need to contact." Wait...she knew that voice. It couldn't be...

Jae took a chance and slowly peeked up over the edge of a window to get a look. Her suspicions were correct, there was the guy from the night before! Her heart thudded violently against her ribs and she thought briefly that she should leave before she was discovered. But she wanted to know who he was so badly. She knew this was dangerous; the woman he was talking to was armed to the teeth and did not look friendly. Given all this-she still couldn't help but stay where she was, listening intently.

"Our numbers have grown in the last few months. You are needed back in the field. We need to make more runs-and with more assets. We can't keep up with the recent rise in refugees." The woman talking was abnormally tall with dark skin and bright white hair. She shifted constantly while she spoke and held a pipe pistol by her side.

"I hear there's a new player in the field. Do you think they could be a possible ally?" The man asked her. She just shrugged.

"Unknown. Her background is suspiciously vague. Nobody seems to know anything about her-only that she might've come from a vault."

"Hmmm...I'll see what I can find out. I have plenty of ears out there."

Jae listened to all this intently, so absorbed in their conversation she didn't notice the third person in the church; but he had noticed her. He had been so quiet she forgot he was even there.

"There's someone out there!" He shouted suddenly and pointed to the window where she hid. Jae ducked quickly and pressed herself tightly against the wall just as two shots ricocheted off the sill above her head. _Crap-crap-crap!_ Jae panicked, and her eyes darted quickly around for an escape. If she ran-they would surely shoot her. If she stayed-they would find her and _then_ shoot her. While she looked frantically around for somewhere to hide, she realized it had gotten quiet inside the church. She stilled-listening hard, when she was suddenly caught by surprise as a pair of hands grabbed her by the shoulders and tugged her roughly to her feet. Her body was slammed up against the wall of the church by an invisible force. The same force yanked her weapon away from her and tossed it aside. Then-the woman she had been watching flicked into view before her, her pistol aimed right into her face.

"Who sent you?!" The woman screamed at her. Jae was so terrified she was momentarily lost for words. "WHO?!" She screamed again.

"I-I-uh..." she stammered incoherently. The woman growled impatiently and pulled her off the wall.

"Walk." She ordered. Jae obeyed, her hands still up and her heart pounding. The woman stooped to retrieve her rifle and motioned which direction to go. She was ordered into the church, and as soon as she reached it's center she was kicked in the back of the knees and sent to the floor. Her mind raced as she knelt there. She had no idea what was going to happen or how she would get out of it. She kept her head down as the stranger came to stand in front of her. He tore her hat off her head and she meekly looked up into his face. To say he was surprised was a supreme understatement.

"What the hell are _you_ doing here?" He asked incredulously. He dropped his gun to his side and just stared at her. The woman came to stand beside him.

"You know her?" She glared at him. He sighed and wiped a hand across his face.

"She's a vendor at Bunker Hill. Jae Hendricks." He finally looked away from her to scan the windows of the building. "Did anyone follow you?" He asked her. Jae quickly shook her head and words started tumbling out of her mouth.

"No-I um...geez, I'm sorry. I was scavenging...and I heard voices so um...I was curious and um..." her voice trailed off as she looked from one to the other. The woman peered maliciously down at her.

"She could be Institute. We can't afford to let her go." The woman stated. Jae panicked.

"No-I'm not with them! I was just...wrong place, wrong time guys! Please just...just let me go home!" She was bordering on tears-pleading frantically with the two of them. The man just shook his head and reached his free hand out to help her up.

"She's not Institute, Glory." Jae took his outstretched hand and stood cautiously. "And she's no threat to us."

"How can you be sure?" The woman; Glory, asked, eying her suspiciously.

"I just know." He responded holding the woman's gaze intently. Glory looked annoyed at his answer. "Have I ever been wrong?" He countered.

"Well-even if she's not one of them we can't let her live. It's too risky." Jae's heart seemed to stop as she just stood there.

"We don't do that Glory. We're better than that, remember?"

"She's your problem then. Figure it out and do it fast-we've got a job to do." Glory shoved Jae's rifle down onto one of the busted pews and stalked off, leaving them alone. He turned back to her and was silent for a few minutes. Jae stared sheepishly at her reflection in his sunglasses.

"Hi." She started awkwardly. "I'll just be going then, don't want to disturb you."

"How much did you hear?" He asked gruffly.

"Oh...nothing, really! I was only here a few seconds!" He stepped closer to her so she had to look up into his face; she felt her legs shaking and her stomach turned to jelly. He was a good six inches taller than her, easy. Combine that with his stoic demeanor and she bet he could intimidate pretty much anyone.

"Don't lie to me. I can always tell when someone is lying to me. Now-I'll ask again: how much...did you hear?" She took a deep breath and steeled herself.

"Something about reporting to headquarters and moving some assets...and refugees..." He nodded and slowly backed away from her. "But-I don't understand any of it...really! I don't even know who you people are!"

"But you know enough." He stated simply, looking away from her and out at the setting sun. She shook slightly at his words.

"What are you gonna do to me?" She asked him shakily. He turned back to her and opened his mouth to speak but was cut off sharply by Glory's authoritative voice.

"This little reunion is gonna have to wait Deacon...they're here."


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter Six: Gunshots in the Dark**_

Her tiny frame shivered under his severe gaze. He didn't really want to scare her; but her presence here was really complicating matters, and he hated complications. This mission needed to go off without a hitch, he had worked too hard for things to get messy now. Deacon had always considered himself to be in total control of things. The world may be total chaos-but his little corner of it was exactly the way he liked it.

Then she had come along, and he suddenly had a lot more to contend with. He hadn't anticipated she would wind up here; but now he had to figure out what he was gonna do next. How the hell had she managed to get the drop on them? He thought he must be slipping. Like it or not, she was here now and he had to do something. They had work to do; and since she was here...

He grabbed up her discarded rifle and shoved it into her shaking hands. She took it almost hesitantly, and stared up into his face blankly.

"Get in the back and stay down. And keep quiet, you're not supposed to be here." She nodded and started to walk to the back of the church. "Don't draw attention to yourself." He barked at her receding back. She paused then continued, and he watched her shuffle along the aisle and disappear through the back door. Deacon turned to stand alongside Glory, who looked at him with an expression of exasperation etched into her features. Their companion stayed crouched behind a bench to their left.

Through the darkness outside the entranceway two figures emerged. They walked carefully down the street and entered the church. One of the men led the way while the other lagged behind, constantly scanning their surroundings. The man in front was tall and was wearing a dark coat and knit cap. He had a long grizzled beard streaked with grey and hard dark eyes. In his hands he carried a shotgun and had a machete strapped to his thigh. His partner was shorter, with a squat face and shifty eyes. His flannel shirt was buttoned tight to his frame and his baseball cap held back his overgrown brown hair. He too carried a shotgun, but also had a pistol on his hip.

The pair came to stand in front of them and Deacon nodded in greeting. "Do either of you have a Geiger counter?" The two glanced at one another before answering.

"Mine is in the shop." The bearded man responded. Deacon nodded and slowly lowered his pistol.

"Did you guys have any trouble getting here?" He asked of the older man.

"A few ferals down the street but nothing too bad." He paused and looked around, "Where's the asset?" The tone of this man's voice set him on edge. Something didn't seem quite right. Perhaps he was being paranoid-but you kinda had to be in this line of work.

"You have your route planned out? Safe and secure?" He asked casually. He was testing the man, his instincts told him something was off. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Glory tense almost imperceptibly and could tell she was thinking the same thing.

The bearded man didn't flinch, didn't blink. "We know what we are doing." Deacon didn't like him one bit.

"Ok. Our contact will meet you at Trinity Tower." Glory cut in. Deacon watched the older man carefully. He knew the drop off was to take place in a completely different location. The way this man answered this question would tell him if his suspicions were correct. He could feel the tension building in the air around him.

The older man glanced from Deacon to Glory for a moment before answering. "Understood." Deacon looked over at Glory and sighed slightly.

"Damn." He muttered to her. He reached out punched the man square in the face. His opponent stumbled back, confused, then dove behind one of the church pews for cover. His companion followed, firing off a shot as he did so. Deacon fell back a few feet and ducked into cover while Glory crouched beside their asset. The old wooden pew splintered into dust at the force of the shotgun blast.

"Well, I guess our transporters were intercepted." He called over to Glory. She popped out of cover long enough to squeeze off a few shots before answering. "Really? What gave you that fucking idea?" The barrage of bullets continued to tear into their hiding spot. He smashed his body up against the rough wood and tried to think of a new method of attack. No way they were going to get anywhere right here. He could use his Stealth Boy and try to sneak behind them, but the church interior was small and difficult to traverse. As he sat there debating his options, he heard the sound of gunfire coming from somewhere above him and the shouts of pain from their combatants. He looked up and there she was; crouched behind a stack of crates and firing down at the two strangers. He was impressed, she had already wounded one. "We need one alive!" He shouted up at her and she nodded. Now that they were adequately distracted, Deacon activated his Stealth Boy and shimmied along the church's northern wall. The little tag-along continued to pepper the two men with shots from the upper-decks while Glory worked on decimating their cover. Deacon snuck around behind them and held his breath a moment. His frame flickered into view while still in cover and he peeked over one of the pews. The gunfire slowed, and he took his chance.

With lightening speed he rushed the smaller of the two men, the wounded one. The man turned to him, surprised and raised his weapon. But he wasn't nearly fast enough. Deacon kicked the shotgun from his grasp and tackled him to the ground. As they wrestled around in the dirt, his companion turned towards them. Deacon had the smaller man by the throat and he stood pulling him to his front while holding his gun to the man's temple.

"Now that's enough!" He called to the other man. "You shoot and he's dead!" The bearded man hesitated, then made his decision. His shotgun came up to level at Deacon's face just as Glory emerged from cover. Deacon heard the loud "pop" of gunfire and his attacker stumbled. The shotgun fell from his fingers as he reached up a hand to his chest. Bright red blood blossomed over his undershirt and dribbled down his front. The man fell to his knees and glared at Deacon as his body slumped over onto the floor. Glory stood just behind him, gun still smoking and a look of satisfaction on her face.

The church was finally quiet. Deacon dragged his prisoner over to an empty pew and shoved him down into the seat just as Glory came to stand beside him.

"Start talking." He growled down at the man. "What did you do with our people?" The man just glared up at him and smirked.

"Do what you want with me asshole. I ain't tellin you nothing."

"I was hoping you would say that." Glory answered, and roughly smashed him across the face with the butt of her gun. "I like interrogating people." The man clutched at his nose and mumbled obscenities through his bloody hands. Then, to Deacon's surprise, the man started laughing.

"Do your worst. I talk or don't talk you kill me anyway." Glory leaned in close to the man's face and studied him hard.

"Or you could talk and we will kill you quickly...the longer you hold out the more painful it gets." Deacon watched the man and was almost certain he saw genuine fear flash behind his eyes. Then a small cough behind him made him turn to see their little tag-along standing just a few feet away. She looked utterly petrified and seemed to have lost some of the color in her face. He stood staring at her in silence while she took a deep breath and steadied herself.

"Who the hell are you people?"


	8. Chapter 8

_**Chapter Seven: What Happens Now?**_

She stood staring at this man; Deacon, with a mixture of fear and complete awe. She was entirely impressed with his fighting expertise, but absolutely petrified with how easily he could kill or inflict pain on another person. Despite these facts, she tried to maintain her composure as he came closer and towered over her.

"Who the hell are you people?" She asked softly. For a moment he just looked at her in silence, then turned back to his companion. "Glory-give me a minute." She didn't even look his way as she nodded, her eyes glued to their prisoner. Deacon took her by the arm and turned her away towards the entrance. He wasn't overly rough, but the way he grabbed her told her not to resist. She let herself be led out into the cool night air and around the corner of the building where he stopped. She breathed hard, her mind screaming in fear of what was going to happen next. He turned her to face him.

"Go home." He said simply. "Don't talk to anyone about this. You were never here- _we_ were never here. And if you do decide to tell anyone...I'll know." She stared back up at him, confused. _Was he letting her go?_ She couldn't believe it.

"Do you understand me?" He asked, taking a step closer. He stood so close to her she found herself involuntarily shrinking back. She still couldn't answer. He had left her completely speechless.

When she said nothing for a while he sighed and seemed to relax his stance a little. He shifted on his feet and reached up to pull the sunglasses off his face. She found herself staring up into his sea-foam eyes. She thought vaguely that those eyes would haunt her dreams for years too come.

"Jae-I need you to listen to me. I want you to go home. Go home and pretend you never saw us. This never happened. Please-go home." The softness in his voice calmed her just enough to shake her out of her daze. She stared up at him just a moment before she felt herself nod in agreement. He stepped away then and let her pass. She walked numbly away from the old church in the darkness for several minutes before turning to glance behind her. She couldn't see him, but she knew he was there somewhere. Watching her from the shadows. The thought gave her chills.

She made her way along the back wall of Bunker Hill and through the small door. No one noticed her return, and soon she was pulling the door to her shack closed behind her. She suddenly let out a lung-full of air and felt her entire body relax. She felt safe in her little home, and she dropped her gear and sat back on the bed. As she stared at the ceiling she replayed the events of this night over and over in her tired mind.

She had heard the gunfire from her hiding place upstairs. As she poked her head around the corner and saw they were pinned down she knew what she had to do. This man had saved her life once-she had to return the favor. But once she saw that tall woman just shoot one of the men in cold-blood. _Who were these people?_ They didn't look like Raiders, but they could be Gunners or mercenaries or any of the other groups that wandered this land. She knew they were dangerous. _But why did that man let me go?_ Her mind continued to chase itself in circles as she grew more and more exhausted. Finally she drifted off into a deep sleep.

* * *

He stood in the darkness outside her shack, silently debating. _Just leave._ He told himself. His cover here was blown, but he couldn't seem to get himself to go just yet. He weighed his options. He knew letting her go would come back to bite him in the ass, that was inevitable. But as she stared up at him looking like a terrified puppy he couldn't bring himself to do anything else. He may be a deadly-effective Railroad weapon but he was still somewhat human. He'd spilled enough blood in his lifetime, he wasn't adding hers to the tide.

Deacon closed his eyes and sighed, then turned to leave. Glory waited some short distance outside the gates. She may have been far off, but he could tell from her stance that she was not happy.

"Did we get what we needed from our would-be attacker?" He started, trying to get the upper hand in the conversation.

"Humans are so frail," Glory scoffed. "I only broke off three of his fingers before he spilled his guts like a weakling." She smiled and lit a cigarette, the fraying paper bobbing between her lips as she spoke. "They were a couple of nobodies, mercenaries bought by some inexperienced Institute scientists. All above-ground though, they didn't have any information on their boss' office." She paused and blew a cloud of smoke his way. "We gonna talk about the girl?"

Deacon turned her way and shook his head. "Drop it Glory." She just chuckled and stared up into the night sky.

"You know I'm not going to right? Letting her go was a fucking stupid move Deacon. What if she blabs? She knows our names- and god knows what else! What the hell were you thinking?!" Her voice was getting steadily angrier by the minute, but he kept his cool.

"I said drop it. I can handle this." She seemed unconvinced.

"Do you have any idea what could happen?" She asked as he turned away. "Or should I remind you of what happened at the Switchboard?" That was it, she had gone too far. Deacon spun quickly on her and pushed her up against the wall, his hand at her throat.

"Watch yourself Glory...some wounds are still too fresh..." Her eyes flashed at him and she effortlessly batted his arm away, her fingers grazed over the handle of her sidearm.

"So what happens when Dez finds out?" He let the question hang in the air before responding.

"You let me handle this. The mission was a bust. Transport the asset to the safe house yourself, I'll call it in to headquarters." Glory opened her mouth to protest, but he silenced her with a glare. "Don't make me remind you of just who exactly I am..." He whispered. Glory scowled and threw her smoke onto the ground. She then turned and disappeared into the shadows. Deacon watched her go, breathing heavy to try and control his temper. After he had calmed down he started off. He had made his decision, whatever the consequences...it had to be done.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Chapter Eight: Choices**_

It was silent in her home, save for the usual creaks and groans she had grown used to over the years. She woke slowly, it was still dark...and somewhere in that dark she became aware that someone was watching her.

Her heart started to pound roughly against her ribs and she broke out into a cold sweat. She held still and attempted to keep her breathing regulated and shallow. If there was someone there, she didn't want them to know she was awake. Cautiously she tilted her head to the side and examined her surroundings. With the dim light from the city outside her walls everything looked to be in place. She couldn't see or hear anyone, but she still couldn't shake that feeling. Someone was there, she knew it...but who?

With as much courage as she could she slung her legs over the side of her bed, grabbed a baseball bat and stood in the small space. "I know you're here! Show yourself!" For a moment she heard nothing...and then he melted out if the shadows like a spirit from some ghost story. Her breath caught in her chest. Of course it was him, who else could it be? The only freakin abnormality in her peaceful little existence.

"What are you doing here?" She asked shakily. _Was he here to kill her?_ He had let her go, but she still had no idea who the hell he was or who he was working with. If he was here to get rid of her as a witness...she wasn't going to make it easy for him. She may not be the best fighter, but she sure as hell wasn't going to go down quietly.

"Look-I don't know who you people are...so I can't tell anyone right?" She spit out. He didn't answer. "I mean- what exactly can I tell people? 'Two strangers got into a gunfight outside town?' That happens like everywhere in the Commonwealth. You don't have to worry about me...I can keep a secret..." She realized she was rambling on. She didn't notice before-but she had started shaking a little with fear. He was quiet a while longer then he took a step forward.

"That's not how it works Jae. I think you know that." Her heart sank. So this was it...He was going to kill her.

"I will fight you." She stated defiantly. "I've been through too much in my life to give up so easily. I'll shout as loud and as long as I can. You won't get out of here without being noticed." She stood her ground defensively, and watched his stoic face carefully. After a moment, the smallest twitch of a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. Had paused. _What the fuck was he playing at?_

"I'm not here to hurt you Jae." He chuckled slightly. "I'm here to offer you a job."

* * *

He had to admit-he was impressed with her. The way she was able to sneak up on them at the church...he was good-but she was better. He would never admit it, but she had basically saved their skins back at the church. And then here she was, looking her possible "killer" in the face and she was still fighting hard. He had seen that kind of spark many times before. The spark of rebellion. And it was just what the Railroad needed to win this war.

She still hadn't answered him so he spoke again. "Do you understand me Jae? I want you to come work for me, and my group." She seemed to shake herself out of her daze.

"And just who is 'your group'?" She still hadn't released hold of her weapon so he kept his distance.

"You will find out, all in good time." He answered. Jae shook her head and remained still where she was.

"Oh no, you're gonna have to give me more than that. You could be Gunners, or worse." His jaw clenched at her response.

"Do I look like a damn Gunner to you?" He asked her angrily, forgetting about his temper. Deacon took a deep breath and sighed. "Haven't you ever wanted to be part of something bigger than this?" He gestured around. "There's so much more you could do with your life."

"I don't know..." She answered defiantly. "I kinda like my life the way it is." Deacon took a step closer, trying to get his point across.

"Orphaned at a young age, attacked relentlessly by Raiders?" He asked her. Her face turned to stone. "You've lost everyone in your life, who is there left to protect?"

"You bastard! How dare you hack my terminal?"

"I know you, Jae. I know because I see someone very familiar in you." She narrowed her eyes at him and he continued. "And that person wasn't one to just stand by and let the world walk all over them." He paused, letting her consider his words. "Are you?" She took a moment before answering.

"Let's say I trust you- which I don't, not even close. Why do you want me?"

"Because I see in you the potential for so much more. You can make a difference in this world, Jae. All you have to do is take the first step." He could tell she was thinking it over, that was good.

"I'll give you time to consider my offer. I will tell you- the road ahead won't be easy, but it will be worth it in the end. If you choose to accept, meet me outside town by the Red Rocket at sundown tonight."

"And If I choose not to accept?" She asked slowly. He was quiet and started to back away.

"I sincerely hope you do." And with that he faded back into the shadows of her shack and left her alone.

When she was sure she was alone, Jae sat back down slowly on her bed. Right now she wasn't sure what to do. She didn't trust that man as far as she could throw him. Yet his words still rang in her ears like a record on repeat. Was her life here really what she wanted? Maybe she was meant for something more? She looked around her in the growing light of morning at her few belongings collected over the years. She suddenly felt disconnected from them, almost like this was the home of someone else. Was this really it? Her legacy, spent in this place...growing old and doing nothing exciting...ever?

She sat there for some time, thinking on what to do. The sun rose in the sky and the sounds of the city around her shook her from her thoughts. Jae got up numbly and prepared her stall for the day. It was a day like any other, but with her mind preoccupied she found it hard to really concentrate on anything. She closed up early, put her remaining wares away, and stood in her shack counting the day's caps. The rhythmic click of metal on metal somehow helped her to make her decision. She closed her cash box and wrapped it in an old sweater where she hid it. She knew what she had to do.

* * *

The sun slowly sank beneath the distant horizon as he leaned casually against the brick wall of the building. He absentmindedly flipped a subway token in his fingers as he waited. The ping of the token reverberated off the empty walls around him and he sighed to himself. The sun was down, and he was alone.

Deacon had really hoped she would come. It was unfortunate that she hadn't. He had seen great potential in her, and he was eager to turn her into a great agent. But if she wasn't here...

He gently pushed himself off the wall and pocketed his coin. He swung his rifle over his shoulder and turned to leave. As he rounded the corner she cut him off, a clever smirk on her face.

"Leaving so soon? I thought you wanted to hire me?" She was prepped and ready, and Deacon couldn't help the slight smile that touched the corner of his mouth.

"Let's get going then." He gestured. And they both started off down the long road ahead.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Chapter Nine: Down in The Underground**_

* * *

 **Ok-I am taking a huge jump forward here. The story just works out best this way. Just remember that I'm working with an entirely new character here so I'm taking any and all liberties with the plot. I'm still doing research to make it as accurate as possible too, but changes have to be made. Thanks again and leave a comment if you want!**

Her eyes opened to the now familiar ceiling above her bed; which was little more than a mattress in the corner but...whatever. She groaned sleepily and tugged the blanket from her shoulders. Jae rose slowly, careful not to wake anyone else up. She was always the first one awake and she liked the time to herself before things got too busy. These few minutes in the morning were the most precious, the time she had to just sit and think.

Jae swung her coat around her shoulders and picked her way through the compound. P.A.M. clumped noisily around her workshop, spouting off statistics in her robotic voice. She smiled to herself as she passed by. She had a soft spot for that old robot.

Jae made her way down the hall and out towards the main entrance. She nodded at the guards standing watch and slipped silently into the tunnel. Once she was outside, she breathed in lungs full of fresh air and sighed. Try as she might, she would never get used to that stale air and musty scent which accompanied the Railroad headquarters.

Jae took up position in the upper decks Of the old church and crouched down in the pews. It had been three years since Deacon had brought her this way to join the shadowy organization she didn't really believe existed. She thought back to that day, and laughed softly at the meek little girl she used to be. The Railroad had given her a lot over that time, but she was most thankful for the transition she had made from small and scared to strong and dangerous. She could now handle anything life threw at her, and she was making a difference.

Admittedly, when she first came here, she was terrified. All she knew about Synths were the rumors that spread throughout the Commonwealth like wildfire. It took her coming here to realize how wrong she was. The first Synth she met, he looked like a normal ordinary person. At the time the Railroad had her helping Tinker Tom with his various gadgets and it worked out well for her. Machines seemed to speak to her, and she had an easier time than anyone hacking a terminal. The man came up to her suddenly one day and introduced himself as X5-452. At first she laughed at his seriousness, that couldn't possibly be his real name. She helped him pick a new one, "for your new life." She told him. Max and her became fast friends, they would spend hours together talking about anything and everything. Yeah...she had developed a tiny bit of a crush on him. Ok, maybe more than tiny. The day he left she cried like a baby. He hugged her close and told her not to worry-he was going out to start a new life and help wherever was needed. He kissed her tenderly on the cheek and clasped her hands. After he was gone, Jae threw herself into her work. She was determined to show as much courage and strength as Max had done. She owed it to him and whats more, she owed it to herself.

The early morning sun peeked above the horizon just as a figure emerged from the tunnel below. She made her way up and into the stands and was soon seated right next to her.

"Good morning Glory." Jae started. Glory nodded and stooped to light a cigarette.

"Raven." She blew a puff of smoke into the air and Jae flinched back.

"You know that shit is bad for you right?" She stated. Glory just laughed and took another long drag.

"Well- it's a good thing I'm not human then." She laughed derisively. Jae shook her head and turned away.

"Any word from Deacon?" It had been about four months since he had left, and though she hated to admit it, Jae missed him. He could be a right prick on his best days, but she still counted him as a friend. The only good friend she had really. She spent most of her time training with him, and the two had developed a special comradery. She trusted him more than anyone else in the world. He had been in her corner since day one-and always had her back. Upon her arrival, Glory had given her the silent treatment the first year- despising her existence. Although, Jae had managed to work her way up to "quiet and sometimes seething dislike". So that was progress. Desdemona was...well...Dez. She never let anyone get close; except Deacon, and she was fully vested in her mission. Jae admired that about her, but it didn't exactly make her the most personable member if the group. And poor Tinker Tom. Yeah, she could call him a friend. But he was bat-shit crazy. He once tricked her into trying this tonic that made her spend two days vomiting out her innards in the most violent way possible. Then there was Rheems.

Rheems was a particularly interesting individual. At nearly six feet she towered over most of the other members of the Rail. When Jae had first arrived the woman had taken an immediate liking to her in particular. Her nickname for Jae was "kiddo", which she didn't exactly like being called; but coming from Rheems it wasn't so bad. Rheems was in her early fifties and had been knocking about the Wealth for as long as she could remember. She would tell stories about her exploits as a mercenary, a bodyguard, hell once she was even a fighter at the Raider-controlled Combat Zone. She'd laugh and insist that she'd only lost because "some red-haired, foul-mouthed, druggie must have been hopped up on some serious chems". The two of them spent a good deal of time together when they were both at the Rail. She was like the sister Jae never had but always wanted.

"Well," Glory started, shaking Jae out of her daydream. "He went off with Wanderer, so no telling when they will be back." That name set her on edge. Wanderer, the vault-dweller from the past who just suddenly appeared out of thin air. Apparently she had military training from her time, so that made her a valuable asset. Of course it didn't really hurt that she was freaking gorgeous and strong as hell. Next to her, Jae looked like nobody. She hadn't liked her from the start, but for some reason, Deacon was spending all his time with her. She 'hmphed' to herself and Glory snickered.

"Don't worry yourself honey." Her tone oozed condescension. " You'll have your bestie back soon enough." Jae rolled her eyes and stood slowly.

"Time to start the day, Tom's got some errands for me to run and P.A.M needs more Intel." She made her way back along the run-down church and into the tombs once more, where she gathered up her gear and glanced breifly at her reflection in a dirty mirror. Her long hair had been cut off long ago, in favor of long bangs framing her face and a buzzed back, and she had dyed it midnight black. With her sharp eyes and hard expression, she looked every bit like her namesake. Her face was dirty and her clothing was even more so. She self-consciously attemped to wipe some of the smudge off and just ended up making it worse. _Yeah._ She thought to herself, unwillingly imagining the perfect vault-dweller standing bedside her in the dim lighting. _I'm nothing like her._ She casually shoved her baseball cap on her head and moved out.

While she really didn't like the newest addition to their group, she had to admit she was useful in a way. The Commonwealth seemed to have quite a bit less baddies than before; most everyone that went up against the golden-haired goddess wound up dead. She was downright lethal, taking out squads of Raiders all at once. Jae wondered what it was like for her, before the war. Was it as dangerous as this? Is that how she got so good at what she did?

Jae made her way along an empty street bound for the Corvega Assembly Plant. The beacon Wanderer had placed there had been damaged in a radstorm and Tom wanted her to fix it. The place had long since been cleared out, and she made it to the beacon in no time. The mid- afternoon sun beat down hard on her neck as she topped the building's catwalk and she stopped for a moment to catch her breath. Leaning up against the railing she felt like she could see for miles around. Jae took it all in; the barren landscape, the run-down buildings. She tried to picture what it must have looked like before everything went to shit. The few pictures she had seen in magazines made for an astounding image of wealth and technology. She imagined the cars speeding down the highways, the glowing signs on the sides of buildings and everywhere green. Everything seemed to be much better then. Better than now obviously. She imagined the life of the city all around her and she closed her eyes and sighed. She could practically hear the hum of life that once was around her. _Wait a minute...there was a hum... _Jae opened her eyes quickly and looked frantically around and below. She couldn't see anything out of the ordinary, but that hum...it was getting louder.

Jae was crouched down and looking frantically around when a large shadow descended all around her. Slowly she turned her eyes skyward and her heart nearly stopped. The dark, looming shape of an enormous airship slowly glided by. Jae's pulse quickened; she'd only seen pictures of these structures, and never thought they existed. _What the hell was going on?_

As she crouched there gaping, a loud voice boomed across the open air and made her flinch back impulsively. _**"PEOPLE OF THE COMMONWEALTH. DO NOT INTERFERE. OUR INTENTIONS ARE PEACEFUL. WE ARE THE BROTHERHOOD OF STEEL."**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**Chapter Ten: The Brotherhood**_

Headquarters was a buzz of activity as she made her way down the tunnel and searched for Dez. The topic of conversation was the same everywhere, the sudden appearance of these new visitors had everyone on edge. Jae was still confused, she wasn't exactly sure why they were there in the first place. She had heard stories of the Brotherhood of Steel, but only campfire stories told late at night. And the details always changed with each telling. Last she knew they were all out west, so what in the hell were they doing here?

She rounded the corner and ran smack into Rheems. The impact left them both slightly stunned and Jae laughed nervously.

"Damn, Rheems! I'm sorry! Guess I'm a little distracted."

"Well who wouldn't be?" The older woman asked. "The big bad Brotherhood are here to take a massive piss in our cereal bowl." Jae stifled a grin pulled her friend to the side, out of the way of traffic.

"What do you know about them?" She asked anxiously. Rheems just shrugged and scratched at her unevenly short greying hair.

"No more than anybody else here I reckon. We've all heard the stories." She sighed and shook her head. "Guess it was only a matter of time huh kiddo?"

"What do you mean?" Jae was confused. Rheems looked pointedly at her and gestured around.

"What exactly do you think we do here huh? The Brotherhood's main mission is eradicating all Synths, ghouls and the like from existence. And we hunny, are within spittin' distance of the largest Synth manufacturer this side of the country." Her voice dropped slightly, her tone more serious. "They're here for a reason kid. And it ain't for playing 'tea party' or dress up. We'll need to watch ourselves if we aim to survive." Jae was silent a moment, the implications were indeed terrifying. It made perfect sense, of course the Brotherhood would want a piece of the action here. She just hoped the Rail was strong enough to fight back, if need be.

Rheems smiled encouragingly and patted her arm. "Buck up kiddo. It ain't over yet. Dez is lookin' for ya. Better not keep her waiting." Jae nodded and hugged her friend quickly, then turned and made her way deeper underground.

Dez stood at a lighted table in the center of the room, distractedly studying a map of the Commonwealth. Markers were placed here and there showing the locations of safe houses, bunkers, assets and the like. Jae made her way over to the side of the table and waited patiently to be acknowledged. Another agent stood a few feet away talking excitedly.

"And you say they stopped at the old Boston airport?" Dez was asking. The other agent, Hawkeye, nodded emphatically.

"I saw four or more vertiberds touch down. At least two-three squads on the ground. They started barricading almost immediately." He paused and fixed Dez with a worried look. "Looks like they'll be here to stay." Dez nodded without looking up and placed a marker over the airport, then pointed to a building nearby.

"I want you to set up here." She told him. "We need eyes on the Brotherhood at all times. Take Braxton and Cypher. Agents will be by periodically to collect report and resupply." Hawkeye nodded curtly and hurried off. Jae stood silently by and studied the map with interest. It was then Dez noticed her presence.

"Raven," Dez turned her way quickly. "I've recalled Deacon and Wanderer from the field. They're nearby. I want you to meet them on their way and apprise them of the current situation. They'll be just outside Goodneighbor." Jae nodded and turned to leave. "Raven-" Dez continued, making her pause and look back. "Be careful. There's no telling how many of their troops are out there." Jae just grinned and tipped her hat.

"No worries ma'am-they'll never know I'm there."

* * *

It was late afternoon as she crouched in the shadows of the fallen roadway sign. Less than fifty yards from Goodneighbor and she could still hear the low hum of activity within its walls. She waited quietly. The hot sun made her perspire with anticipation and her senses were on high alert. Finally, they came around the corner. She saw Wanderer first-kinda hard not to. She knew the vault suit had its perks, but seriously? Bright blue and yellow? You might as well walk around with a giant sign screaming "SHOOT ME!" Paired with her voluminous blonde ponytail bouncing along behind her and her stunning pre-war looks and she was sure to attract attention wherever she went.

Deacon followed alongside; fitting in nicely in his dingy wasteland gear, faded black beret and aviators. He was never without those aviators; and behind them he could hide anything. Jae jokingly called them his 'mask'; which he used to hide himself from the outside world. He could hide all he wanted but he could never fool her. She knew him well enough that she was able to pick up subtle changes in his expression that could tell her what he was thinking. Her heart leapt a little at seeing him again but she waited until they were a few yards away before making her presence known. At just the right moment, she sauntered out of cover and grinned mischievously at the surprised look on Deacon's face.

"Boo!" She giggled. "Did ya miss me?" Deacon recovered quickly and clasped her arm in greeting, pulling her into a warm hug.

"I knew you were there a mile out." He muttered into her ear. Her heart fluttered a little as his voice tickled her, making her grin and give him a playful poke in the ribs.

"Liar." She teased. It was then she noticed something was missing. "What on earth did you do to your hair?" She reached out and swiped his hat off his head, revealing the change he had made. "Oh no...not the luscious locks too? Now you're bald..." She faked a pout at his change in appearance, thoroughly enjoying teasing him. She then turned to the vault-dweller, "Wanderer." With a nod. It was pretty obvious there was no love lost between them. From their first meeting she had felt there was something fishy about the Rail's 'New and Improved' asset. And it wasn't just her overall damned perfection; but Jae could sense there was more to this mysterious stranger than met the eye. Whatever she felt, she managed to maintain a professional attitude-most of the time anyway. Jae turned her attention back to her friend.

"I'm not bald..." Deacon muttered defensively, pulling his hat away from her and replacing it. "Why are you here?"

"Dez sent me. We need to talk." She motioned down the street to a decrepit bank lobby and once inside, she was able to update him on their situation.

"Dez wants us all back at headquarters to discuss her plan on how to move forward." She stopped and looked quizzically up at Deacon. "By the way, how is it you were so close? Last I knew you were at least a day's travel out." Deacon glanced sideways at Wanderer and she shook her head almost imperceptibly.

"We had some Minutemen business to attend to in Goodneighbor." Deacon answered curtly. Jae bristled a little at his response. _He was hiding something. What wasn't he telling her?_.

"Um...ok..." She cleared her throat. "Anyways, we should get going...want to be back before nightfall." She checked her rifle briefly then followed the two of them out into the street. Deacon was naturally secretive, but this was something different entirely. Something was going on between those two-she could feel it.

Most of the Railroad agents had assembled around Dez by the time they returned. She looked up expectantly as they approached.

"So-as you are all aware, the Brotherhood have made themselves known in the Commonwealth." A few murmurs ran through the crowd and she raised her hand to silence them. "There's no need to be alarmed. We've got eyes on them as we speak and afterall-not many know we are even here." Dez scanned her assembly slowly before she continued. "Our main concern is still the Institute at this time. We continue operations as usual-but exercise extreme caution," she warned. "We all know the Brotherhood's view on Synths. We can't afford to miss a single step. Thanks to Wanderer-we now have a contact at the Nakano residence to the north. They've agreed to help us transport synths out to Far Harbor, we just need to get them there. Report to Tinker Tom for individual assignments. Be safe, be vigilant, be successful. Dismissed." The assembly scattered, and Jae glanced at Dez to see her motioning for them to join her.

"Wanderer, Deacon. Good to have you back. Was your mission a success?"

"Not sure yet," Deacon grimaced. "We hit a bit of a snag that required a quick stop in Goodneighbor. We should be able to make more progress in the future though." Dez nodded and looked at them all in turn.

"I've got a new assignment for you. Undoubtedly by now the Minutemen know the Brotherhood are here. I need you to report to General Garvey and request his assistance. The Minutemen have more...exposure...than we do. And more importantly-they pose no threat to the Brotherhood and will be seen as such. We will need every ally we have in the days ahead." She looked concerned. "I'm afraid this might become a very dangerous time for the Railroad. Raven-I want you to accompany them . The Castle is far and...uncomfortably close...to the Brotherhood's base of operations." Jae nodded resolutely, but on the inside she was secretly jumping for joy. _Finally! Some real fieldwork!_ "You all have your assignments, report back ASAP. Dismissed."


	12. Chapter 12

_**Chapter 11: Wanderer**_

The trip to the Castle was indeed a long one, requiring a few detours and firefights along the way. Jae was in her element; she was a full Railroad agent now, kicking ass just like the rest of them. Plus it was good to fight alongside Deacon again. He taught her so much, and she was eager to show him how good she had become because of him.

On the other hand, her combat skills paled in comparison to their companion, Wanderer. Jae had to admit, the woman was incredible. Whatever the old world military taught her had definitely paid off. There wasn't a single opponent in the Commonwealth she couldn't beat. But while she was great for fighting off bad guys; her social skills left a lot to be desired.

With Deacon she was always pleasant and chatty, and the mutual respect between the two of them was obvious. Their conversations were close, and anyone could tell they were very familiar with each other. Jae secretly wondered just _how_ familiar that was. With Jae she was more-intrusive. She would ask constant questions, and sometimes have her repeat the same information multiple times. Jae never gave her the truth of course, she just mechanically recited the backstory her and Deacon had come up with years ago when she first joined the Railroad. A decision she wasn't 100% sure about. What finally sold her on the idea was Deacon's insistence that in the Railroad; nobody's story was completely true. Everyone had something to hide. Jae had the sneaking suspicion the woman was trying to catch her in a lie. She was cunning, but Jae was onto her shit.

When she wasn't bombarding her with constant questions; she was talking about her and Deacon's exploits. She had this habit of prattling on for what felt like hours, after which she would glance over to her side to see if she had impressed Jae at all. To hear it from her, she had single-handedly saved the Minutemen from ruin, rescued Diamond City's favorite synth detective from over a hundred armed mercenaries, and took down a Mirelurk Queen armed with nothing but a shotgun and a handful of grenades. Jae groaned inwardly as she started to regale her with the story of how she fought her way out of a Raider camp full of nearly half the Raiders in the Commonwealth. _This was gonna be a long trip._

They made to stop for the night at a run-down office building just along the coast. It's top two floors were missing parts of their outer walls so they made the perfect lookout perch. Jae volunteered for first watch, anything to get away from that woman's incessant storytelling. As she sat calmly on the ledge looking out over the ruined city she breathed in the fresh night air. A light breeze blew her hair about her eyes and she could hear the gentle creaking and cracking of the building's bones in the silence surrounding them. In the dark distance she could clearly see the slight glow of what she imagined would be the Castle. The Minutemen stronghold had been retaken about a year back and had since become a formidable fortress to rival that of Diamond City. The Minutemen were quickly gathering support all across the Wealth; with many locals flocking to their ranks in the hopes of procuring a better life for their families. Jae thought secretly to herself that if she hadn't met Deacon all those years ago she might have ended up doing the same, with the Minutemen.

She sat calmly musing to herself as she scanned the streets below for any movement. The half-moon lit their surroundings in an eerily blue glow, and shimmered off the many pools of stagnant water at the sides of the decrepit walkways. Jae thought to herself that while her life hadn't turned out exactly as she had planned; it wasn't too bad either. She wasn't afraid anymore, she could fend for herself. And she now had a family. The Rail was her family. She felt like everything in her little world was falling into place. But even with this sense of completion, she couldn't help the little nagging doubt that told her something was missing. What else could she need? In her opinion, she had everything she wanted, and she finally felt like her life meant something. But still...

In the darkness she heard the slightest of sounds coming from behind her. Jae immediately tensed, then relaxed only a little when she realized who it was. She didn't turn around, merely continued to gaze out into the dim light from below.

"Wanderer," she started. "Is my watch up already?" She heard a light laugh from behind her as the other woman came to sit beside her on the ledge.

"Deacon was right, there's no sneaking up on you is there?" The blonde sighed as she slid her rifle off her shoulder and poised it at the street, checking it's sights. Jae didn't say anything and her companion continued. "This your first time this far out in the wasteland?"

"I grew up out here, a small farm out past Bunker Hill. I left home a few years ago looking for work in Diamond City. Wound up finding the Rail instead. Been with them ever since." She recited the story again in an almost monotone voice. Wanderer simply hummed her understanding and continued.

"Well yeah-you told me that. I meant since the Railroad." Jae rubbed at her exposed arm pensively. She wasn't up for small-talk tonight, and was trying to think of a quick way to end this conversation. She figured the truth from this point wouldn't be too bad since she would probably find out anyway through her connections with the Rail. In the end she just shrugged and looked around feigning concentration.

"A few assignments here and there. I've been in training mostly and tech development. So yes-this is my first real assignment." She was done talking, and her last statement had a tone of finality in it that was pretty hard to miss. Jae stood gently and turned on her heel to leave, but was stopped short as Wanderer cut her off.

"You don't like me very much do you?" She asked accusingly. It was all Jae could do to maintain an expression of indifference.

"I don't 'like or dislike' anybody. I keep to my own, and get my job done." The blonde scoffed and tossed her ponytail a bit.

"Please. Don't give me that. You like Deacon, I can tell." She flashed her a half-crooked smile that was supposed to be friendly. Jae just found it irritating.

"That's different. He's my mentor-and he saved my life." _Why was she defending her relationship with Deacon to this woman?_ As she thought of a way out, Wanderer's next comment caught her off guard.

"Is it now? Well...there's a mentor then there's...something more..." Her tone was conspiratorial, and Jae tried to edge out of the conversation. She suddenly found this new topic suffocating.

"I don't know what you're talking about. It's your turn for watch. Goodnight." Jae stepped around her and deeper into the darkened building. She heard the enjoyment in that woman's voice as she called after her.

"Well, better figure it out hunny. Or someone else is liable to up and steal your man away." Jae kept walking, silently fuming to herself. As she got back down to the lower level and rolled out a bedroll she couldn't get that last comment out of her head. _"HER man?"_ _What the hell did that Vaultie think was going on?_ She laid down on her side and tried to ignore what had just happened. As she did so her eyes unconsciously drifted over to where Deacon sat sleeping leaned up against the far wall. She watched the gentle rise and fall of his chest as she wondered to herself. _What did she mean?_


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 12: The Castle**

After hearing all the stories being told about the Commonwealth's Minutemen, Jae had expected...well...more. To be fair, they were decently organized and seemed to have extensive numbers; but their shining glory: "The Castle", left something to be desired. As Jae walked through the large heavy entryway she had expected to see the type of chaotic activity that was always happening down in the Rail. Instead she saw farms, Brahmin grazing nearby, and makeshift shacks hastily built against the inner walls. The very center held a radio beacon that seemed to be constantly broadcasting, but not really saying much. The place was run-down and in need of repair; but you could say that about pretty much anywhere nowadays.

She stood behind Deacon and Wanderer and watched as a man in a torn colonial hat and patched tan coat sauntered up towards them. Jae couldn't be entirely sure, but she was almost positive she saw Wanderer shift a little more differently than normal when he approached. The blonde immediately snapped back to normal under Jae's intense scrutiny and offered her hand out to the man by way of formal greeting.

"General Garvey. So great to see you again." Her voice was bubbly and infectious and it grated on Jae's nerves. However, the General seemed pleased with her gesture and offered a warm smile in return.

"Please Nora, we don't need formalities here." And he shook her hand nonetheless, a bit longer and more intimately than he should have, Jae noticed. "Old friends don't need to be so civil." He finally released her hand but did not stop staring at her as he spoke. Wanderer laughed a sort of giggle and tossed her hair over her shoulder.

"We're here on business Preston, not vacation." She chided as she gestured towards Deacon and Jae as if finally noticing their presence. "You remember my partner, right?" Deacon stiffly nodded his head in greeting and Preston glanced his way briefly and nodded back. Jae noticed with a tinge of irritation that she hadn't been introduced. No matter, she didn't really want to be well-known anyway. Instead she made a show of assessing their surroundings while intently listening to their conversation.

"Well then.." Preston continued, "Should we go to my office? We can discuss your, _business_ there." He gestured behind him to an alcove leading into the fortifications and for them to follow. The four of them made their way across the courtyard some feet before Deacon turned her way and blocked her path.

"Stay here." He ordered, and flashed her a warning look as he saw she was close to objecting. "Don't argue with me, I know what I'm doing. Assess our surroundings and find us lodgings for the night." Without another word he turned and walked away from her and back towards that Vaultie. Jae's stomach turned as she saw the look that woman gave her before turning and walking away. It was a look of triumph, a look that meant: "Told ya so." She stared a moment longer at their retreating backs and felt something strange boiling over in her stomach. _Was she jealous?_ Jae shook her head slightly and walked away towards a set of stairs that led up to the battlements. She needed some time to clear her head.

Once up the stairs she was treated with a magnificent view of the ocean outside the Castle's walls. She felt the warm air blow past her face and could smell the heavy scent of salt. She stood still for a moment and just let the sensations wash over her; as she closed her eyes she tried to imagine what it was like before. She envisioned families driving to the beach on weekends, kids flying kites in the soft breeze, lovers holding hands and taking romantic boat rides...She smiled to herself before she realized it and finally knew what she was missing in life. She wanted companionship, she wanted someone to love.

But the silly "Dream Life" she saw on the covers of magazines wasn't ever going to happen, for anyone anymore. What did she really expect? She was a Railroad Agent; her mission was clear, and there was no room in her life for love. Who would she even be able to be involved with? No one outside the Rail surely; and another agent? It was strictly forbidden. Relationships were complicated and they couldn't afford to have anyone putting themselves above the needs of the organization. It could cost many important lives if they did.

Jae spent the afternoon walking the walls of the Castle inspecting it's defenses. She got a few curious looks from the Minutemen stationed there but she kept her distance. She realized she stuck out like a sore thumb in her black jeans, tan tank and long hooded jacket. She walked casually, holding her rifle lightly in front of her and watching everything around her. She was extremely observant; she had to be, Deacon would want a full report later. She made her way down into the barracks and up to a young man who was leisurely sweeping the floors. He startled a little at her sudden appearance, he couldn't have been more than fifteen.

"My partner and I will need beds for the night." She stated simply. The boy just stared at her with a dumbfounded expression taking in her appearance. It seemed like he had no idea what to say. Jae tried not to let her irritation show; it wasn't the kid she was mad at.

"What's your name kid?" She asked a little softer. She watched his eyebrows pin together as he finally shook himself out of his daze.

"I'm Bryan, and I'm not a kid." He ground out defiantly, pushing his shoulders back. She smiled a little to herself and tried again.

"Well Bryan, you must be in charge here. Any chance I could get two beds for my partner and I? We are friends with the Vault-Dweller." The kid's eyes practically popped with excitement at the mention of the infamous Vault-Dweller. Jae bit back a groan at his reaction and tried not to let her feelings show on her face.

"Y-you know the Vault-Dweller?" He stammered quickly. "She-she's here?" He looked all around him and clutched onto his broom as if it would save his life. Jae sighed. _Apparently she's made quite a name for herself._

"Yes..." She started calmly, trying to draw his attention back to her request. "And we would really like to have someplace to bed down for he night. I'm sure you know how difficult life is outside these walls and we could use some much needed rest." She managed to pull him back into reality long enough for her words to sink in, and he seemed to look at her with fresh eyes.

"S-sure. I'll just um..." He looked around behind him at the few beds lining the wall. "Most of these beds are taken by Minutemen. But um...we could see about finding something else-" He flustered.

"That won't be necessary." The silky voice swam out from behind Jae and she tensed. "General Garvey has graciously offered us his personal quarters. He certainly knows how to entertain his guests." Jae watched with slight amusement how her appearance affected the young man. After all, he was meeting his hero. His slightly dirty face flushed pink at her words and he rushed to remove his patched hat from his overgrown hair.

"O-of course ma'am. I-if you want I can show you the way? M-maybe take you on a tour of the grounds?" Jae could tell he was trying everything in his limited arsenal of small-talk to get the tall Vaultie to stay. She suddenly saw her opportunity and jumped at it.

"Yes...why not, _Nora Dear?_ " She adopted a similar girlish tenor to her voice and grinned broad. "I'm sure there's much to see here. And Bryan would love to hear some stories about the infamous Vault-Dweller. Straight from the horse's mouth so to speak." Were it not for the smile plastered across that flawless face, Jae was certain she would have seen how irritated her companion was at her words. She hid a small grin of satisfaction at her thinly-veiled jab and turned away from them quickly towards the door and out into the courtyard. She could hear the small flustered squeak of the boy's voice intermingled in with the bubbly laugh she had come to hate. _That should keep her busy for a few hours._

Jae looked quickly around the area but couldn't seem to find Deacon anywhere. When she asked a few more of the Minutemen soldiers she found out he was still in conference with the General. Jae sighed and made her way back up to the battlements with the great view of the ocean. She leaned casually up against a wall and stared distractedly out at the slowly rolling waves. Before long, the warm air and soothing sounds lulled her into a comfortable dreamless sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 13: A Brief Respite**

Deacon spent several hours of the day planning strategy with General Garvey. Turned out the Minutemen already had several scouts nearby with information on the Commonwealth's newest residents; who could be recalled and debriefed within a few days. He wasn't able to promise anything more than cooperation and information at the time however. The Minutemen were still building popularity; and they weren't going to choose sides in a war nobody was sure was even coming. While he was irritated, Deacon could understand their caution.

Before long, their conversation melted into the "catching up" of the General and Wanderer. Deacon sat quietly listening, and covertly assessing the man before him. He had only met the General once, long ago when the Minutemen were still at Sanctuary. At the time, he wasn't much impressed. The man was melancholy and depressed; and clearly still attached to his new partner. Deacon knew they had a history, that much was obvious; but Nora still hadn't spoken about it and he hadn't asked. He seemed to be faring well though; but Deacon could tell there were some lingering hopes in the air surrounding them. He knew Garvey had asked her to take over as General and that she had refused. After which she left Sanctuary to continue her search for her son. Joining the Railroad had been a necessary tactic for her. She needed the help and they needed the agents. It was a business arrangement that had worked out pretty well for the last few years. As long as she continued to assist in Railroad missions; they would devote resources into helping her find her son.

Deacon knew what they had discovered about Kellogg at Fort Hagen had affected her greatly. She wouldn't show it, but he could tell she was battling some inner demons. He had hoped that Dr. Amari could have given her some answers; but the discoveries extracted from Kellogg's memories simply added to the storm raging inside her head when she thought of Shaun. Knowing where her son was became little comfort when she discovered he was in the Institute. And Deacon had no freaking clue how they were going to get him out of there.

When the small-talk started to dwindle Nora announced she was going for a walk. Almost immediately the General offered to accompany her. She declined politely and suggested she leave the men to their "war talk". Deacon was left with an unpleasantly chagrined General, but managed to iron out a few more plans and even discuss the Castle's defenses and means of improvement. When he finally brought an end to the conversation and stepped outside to stretch his stiff limbs it was well past sundown. He wondered absently where his companions were. Making his way down into the mess hall he was able to find Nora. Her infectious laughter could be heard throughout the enormous space as she listened and told stories in turn with some of the residents. Deacon glanced around the room but could not see Jae anywhere. He then slipped quietly out into the night.

Making his way up the stairs to the battlements he had a sneaking suspicion he would find her there. And, sure enough, he caught a glimpse of her boot behind one of the walls looking out to sea. He made his way casually over to her side, not bothering to sneak since it was useless. He knew she could hear him from a mile away. He slid down slowly against the wall and rested his arms on his bent knees. She had her eyes closed but wasn't sleeping. He waited a moment before she spoke.

"I could sit here all day." She stated simply. "I love the sea." Deacon glanced out at the black water below and raised his eyebrows.

"It's just water. Dirty water at that." He scoffed. She peeked at him out of the corner of her eye and 'pfftd' loudly.

"Dude...don't ruin it for me." She chided. "Let me have this one little moment huh?" She playfully nudged his arm and he responded by kicking at her leg, which escalated into her shoving him nearly over into the dirt. Jae let out a bark of laughter in triumph and he couldn't help the smirk forming on his lips. Then he sighed and relented. In truth, he was enjoying the tranquility of the moment himself. He felt more comfortable with her around than he had anyone else, except Dez. With her he didn't need to pretend. She knew who he was...mostly, and vice versa. The familiarity between the two of them had been hard won, over many years companionship. It had been a long time since he had been this close to another person; and knowing she was always there made the Rail feel even more like home than before. He trusted her completely; which was strange for him. Maybe it was the way they met...maybe it was intuition...but he knew she was someone he would always care about. He felt he could let his guard down, if only a little; and the peace it brought his chaotic thoughts was welcomed indeed.

She broke him out of his reverie suddenly. "So what's the plan boss?" She opened her eyes to glance his way. He continued to stare out over the ocean.

"The Minutemen are undecided. But they are able to give us some additional information soon. Tomorrow I'm to help with some adjustments to their defenses. That may engender some mutual trust in the future." He paused and sighed heavily. "Looks like we'll be here a few more days." She laughed softly beside him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Hey, at least we got a great view." And he couldn't help the slight chuckle that escaped his lips as he laughed alongside her in the growing darkness.

* * *

"And I'm telling you, it's a bad idea! You don't know what could be waiting for you up there!" He shouted. She laughed at him.

"Oh please Preston, it will be perfectly fine! I have an open invitation after all!" Nora played idly with the ends of her ponytail as she spoke. They were both sitting in the small seating area of his quarters. What had started out as a friendly conversation had quickly turned hostile at her suggestion to visit the Prydwen. She had been surprised by his sudden change in demeanor.

"Do you have any concept of the danger you could be walking into? If they know about your connections to the Railroad-"

"But they don't know Preston, that's the point. They think I'm still considering joining their ranks as a Knight. And Danse assured me that I could take my time to make my decision." Preston scoffed slightly and shook his head.

"That is if he doesn't turn you over the second you step foot on board. That man-"

"Saved my life Preston, and I saved his. Any number of times. I trust him, you should too." She could see she wasn't getting through to him at all.

"He's Brotherhood, Nora. No matter what you two went through, he's just the same as the rest of them. He'd sell you out to his Elder if he ever found out you were helping synths all along. People don't change what's in their nature."

"You once thought the same about yourself...but I trusted you." She watched as her words finally hit home. The room adopted an uncomfortable silence as she let her statement sink in. They had known each other a long time, this was true; but she wasn't letting any man-even him-make her choices for her.

She could feel the conversation was done and she had given him a lot to think about. Nora sighed and stood up from the comfortable couch.

"I don't want to fight Preston. I'm going and that's final. Please can we just...let it rest?" She saw the former look of determination slowly die out of his soft eyes and she smiled.

"Trust me Preston, I'm going to be ok. I am the Soul Survivor after all."


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 14: A Meeting**

Deacon didn't like the idea one bit. An opinion he had voiced with his companion later the next day as she had casually explained her plan. He knew they needed answers, but there had to be other ways. The scouts that had returned had offered some new information, but little of it was anything they didn't already know. The Brotherhood's mission in the Commonwealth was clear from the get-go. It was obvious how they felt about synths and the like. And the fact that they had basically built up a military stronghold at a strategic location was disturbing to say the least. One thing was for sure; they were here to stay. He knew they needed more information, but it was dangerous for her to go alone; and despite her protestations, she agreed on him going with her. He knew nothing about the Brotherhood here in the Commonwealth; and if he was going to change that, he would have to do something. Even if it meant walking straight into the belly of the beast.

Now they found themselves meeting a Brotherhood vertibird just outside the Castle walls shortly before sundown. Deacon watched the large, noisy machine touch down with genuine interest. _If only the Railroad could get their hands on a couple of those..._ As soon as the wheels touched dirt two massive sets of power armor pounded out, weapons at the ready. Deacon shifted a little as he watched and Nora touched his arm comfortingly. "Don't worry, I got this." She mouthed, and immediately put on her most dazzling smile. As soon as they had determined the area was clear, the two Knights motioned inside and a third figure emerged. His battered armor showcased the many battles he had been in and he was exceptionally tall, even in the power armor. This third man made his way over to them and casually removed his helmet. Deacon felt Nora's change in stance as soon as he did so. She had adopted what he called her 'flirty stance'; which she had used many times to get her way. He grimaced to himself, this must be the infamous Paladin Danse.

"Ad Victoriam. And good evening, ma'am." His voice was thick and deep, his manner calm and crisp. He had all the rugged handsomeness of a Brotherhood soldier. And Deacon hated him on the spot.

"Good evening Paladin Danse!" Nora bubbled brightly. "I thought I'd take you up on your offer to see what the Brotherhood is made of. If it's not too late that is." Her pleasant demeanor stood out in stark contrast to the serious and brooding man towering above them. As she spoke, he glanced over her shoulder to where Deacon stood like a silent guardian. Nora followed his gaze and shrugged slightly.

"This is my new bodyguard." She chirped quickly. "With as dangerous as it is out there lately, a girl's gotta have some muscle to watch her back." The statue before them looked unconvinced, and she continued. "He's trustworthy. And he's expensive, so I know he's good at what he does. Shall we go on then?" The large Paladin nodded curtly and replaced his helmet. Deacon followed them quietly with a growing sense of apprehension.

The ride up to the Prydwen was a surprisingly short one. The speed at which these machines could travel was impressive and more then a little unnerving. Deacon took the opportunity to surreptitiously assess the inside and their associated armaments. The aircraft had two heavy Gatling turrets and various weaponry in holsters along the inside. Med kits buckled neatly between seats, and boxes of ammo were tucked into compartments all around. These guys certainly were prepared. He turned his head out the side and watched the looming shape of the Brotherhood airship as they glided closer through the air. His gut clenched slightly as he could see there were several other vertibirds parked on it's base and even more on the ground. If it did come to war...Deacon had a sad premonition just who would be the victor.

They landed nest to an extended platform and disembarked. Their guide led them down a long metal catwalk and through a series of doors and stairs until they finally emerged out onto the bridge of the ship. A tall and imposing figure stood at the front; his back towards them and surveying the landscape below. Deacon had the impression he had been watching their approach, and therefore knew they were here. The man stood silently and did not acknowledge their presence. Of course, in true Brotherhood fashion, everything was a ceremony.

Danse motioned for them to wait, as he approached the silent Elder of this vast army. Deacon glanced sideways at Nora and saw she was sizing him up much the same way he was. She adjusted her holster and smoothed her flyaway hair from her face. Deacon smirked. He was very interested to see if this was yet another man she could effortlessly charm.

"Elder Maxson. As ordered, I've brought the Vault-Dweller." The Elder turned his head slightly to acknowledge Danse's statement but did not turn to face them. Deacon stood uncomfortably in the background as he finally understood what was going on. The man was sizing them up too. This was a statement that read loud and clear. _I'm in charge here, you would do well to remember that._ Deacon fought the urge to snicker as he watched this one-man pissing contest. He would play along, so long as Nora wasn't in any danger. He kept his mouth shut and waited patiently for their host to greet them.

"It took many years and many lives for our order to make it this far." The Elder began, still not turning around. "But with the tireless efforts of a dedicated crew we have arrived finally to rid the Commonwealth of it's greatest threat." At last he turned to face them, and Deacon was more than a little surprised. With his status, he had imagined a man more in his elder years. The man who faced them couldn't have been much older than twenty-five. In fact, Deacon could swear the man was even younger.

"Beneath the Commonwealth, there is a cancer known as 'The Institute', a malignant growth that needs to be cut out before it infects the surface." _Well...at least on that point they could agree._ The young man stared at them intently, gauging their reaction. When they said nothing he continued.

"The Institute Scientists have created a weapon that transcends the destructive nature of the atom bomb. They call their creation the "synth", a robotic abomination of technology that is free-thinking and masquerades as a human being." Deacon's jaw clenched a little with controlled anger. _Had this man even met a true synth?_ Most of the ones they had ferried to freedom were confused and terrified and just trying to survive. They had everything real humans had, and some even had more. They had souls. Hardly the 'abominations' this impudent young man made them out to be.

"I am not prepared to allow the Institute to continue this line of experimentation. Therefore, the Institute and their 'synths' are considered enemies of the Brotherhood of Steel, and should be dealt with swiftly and mercilessly." They stood patiently waiting as he finished his little tirade. Nora didn't even flinch. She just smiled serenely back at him.

"Is this a cause you could see yourself working towards, Vault-Dweller?" It was now their turn to speak finally, and the air was practically thick with her charm as her silky voice answered in the sweetest way possible.

"Please Elder, call me Nora. I have a feeling you and I are going to be great friends."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 15: Return**

The rain fell lightly on the roof of the small shack she sat under. She watched the big gates of the Castle intently for their return. Jae chewed her lip angrily, he hadn't told her they were going. She had just been walking the battlements when she saw the gunship touch down and the two of them get on with some nasty-looking soldiers. Honestly, she wasn't so much worried about the Vault-Dweller, that weirdo could take care of herself. But Deacon, he'd be killed if they found out where his true allegiances were. She had watched the skies intently for a few hours before it started to rain. Jae felt herself shiver, and couldn't tell if it was from the rain or something else entirely.

Finally, she heard the low hum of propeller blades and she jumped up in anticipation. The following minutes seemed to stretch on forever as she waited impatiently. Then one of the guards at the gate shouted their return and the heavy oak doors were pulled open. Jae felt her blood boil as that woman sauntered back into the courtyard followed closely by Deacon. She was sure this whole thing had been her idea, she was probably trying to build up yet another story for her tale of exploits.

Jae tried hard to control her frustration as she made her way over to them. Deacon glanced her way and turned to cut her off. They stopped about ten yards from the center of the fortress and he held up a hand to try and silence her already brewing argument.

"Did you have a nice trip?" Jae questioned him with just a hint of anger behind it. His jaw clenched and he dropped his hand. "Why didn't you tell me you were going?"

"The decision was made only this afternoon. There wasn't time to find you." He answered a little lamely. Jae snorted derisively.

"Couldn't find me? It's not exactly a giant fucking fortress here Deacon! There's only so many places I could be!" Her voice rose a little, drawing the attention of some farmers nearby. Jae wasn't trying to make a scene or anything; she was just frustrated with him for not telling her. He was her mentor, and more than that; they were friends. The thought of anything happening to him scared her. She'd already lost so much, she wasn't losing him too.

"Let's talk about this later." He answered her in a low voice. "I have a lot on my mind right now." She narrowed her eyes at him, something was off. Jae took a step closer so that she had to look up into his face. A muscle in his cheek was twitching and his body tensed slightly. He was stressed. Damn, he probably hadn't slept properly in weeks. She knew him well enough by now to know that something was wrong.

"Deacon," she started softly so only he could hear. "Are you ok?" The steady rain falling on them dripped off the brim of her hat and she watched his face intently. He couldn't hide from her, sooner or later she was going to find out what was wrong. Since he had returned from the field something about him had changed. At first she had chocked it up to just time spent apart. But the more time she spent with him the more she noticed the subtle differences in his character. He was more distant, more aloof than usual. Her gut started to turn as she figured it had something to do with that Vaultie.

He was quiet for only a few seconds as she scrutinized him before he placed a hand reassuringly on her upper arm. The warmth of his skin radiated through her soaked clothing and sent a slight chill down her spine. He smiled lightly.

"I just need some rest, it's been a long day. We will talk in the morning." He glanced around and she nodded. His fingers squeezed her arm gently before he let go and walked past her into the building. She turned to watch him as he went and saw Wanderer watching them from not far off. She smiled a sickly-sweet smile and turned to flounce off. Jae shook herself slightly, only now noticing just how soaked and cold she was. She made her way back to her bunk and squished out of her wet coat. Now that he was back and safe; she felt her tension drain away into nothingness. She shouldn't have been so hard on him; she should have realized he was capable of taking care of himself. Her anger at him dissipated quickly and she smiled. Sometimes she could be so silly.

As she slowly peeled off her wet attire and rummaged around for a clean shirt she thought again just how much he meant to her. He had saved her life on more than one occasion, but it was more than that. He had given her meaning. She now had a purpose because of him, and a family in the Rail. Their friendship meant so much to her, she didn't like to think of a life without him in it. But she felt like they were slowly growing apart. He spent more and more time with Wanderer, and the thought of them together unnerved her. She remembered feeling jealous of how close the two of them were and she frowned. He wouldn't be so foolish as to form a liaison with her... _would he?_ Jae's mind reeled at the thought...why did it bother her again?

Then she finally got it, and she paused halfway through pulling on her jeans. She didn't want Deacon with Wanderer. She didn't want him to be with anyone else. And the reason she felt this was more than a little jarring. She realized she wanted him to be...with her.

She finished dressing and plunked down onto the open cot behind her, suddenly feeling lightheaded. Was it possible that after all these years together she had started to develop feelings for him? She thought back on some of their times together and found herself smiling. True, she thought about him often...there wasn't a day that went by where she didn't think about him. But had her affection for him really grown into that kind of attraction? _Not possible...we're friends... that's all._

The voice of the Vault-Dweller and what she had said a few days ago suddenly broke through her thoughts. _Something more..._ Did she really pick up on some extra facet of her relationship with Deacon that Jae hadn't even come to realize yet?

Jae laid her head down onto the stuffy pillow and pulled the blankets up over her. She stared at the ceiling in silence and listened to the heavy snores of some of the other Minutemen around her. She closed her eyes and without meaning to, started to think about him. He was a good-looking guy after all, she couldn't help but indulge in a little bit of fantasy about the whole thing. She yawned and smiled to herself. _Maybe it was just all the excitement of the day..._ she thought to herself. She was sure she would see things differently in the morning. Then she would laugh at how ridiculous the whole idea was and move on with her life. With that in mind she allowed her mind to wander and drifted off soundly into sleep.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 16: Ultimatum**

"I think it's a good idea, why don't you?" Nora asked casually as they stood there surveying the new turrets being installed at the Castle. Deacon only 'hmphed' at her comment and continued to look away out to sea. She glanced sideways at him and continued.

"She needs to have a real assignment sooner or later. And this could be her opportunity to prove herself." Again he said nothing. She was starting to get irritated with his silence.

"I feel like this assignment would be perfect for her. She's virtually unknown, a young fresh face, she would blend in quite well. Look...I know she's a 'favorite' of yours, but-" He turned to glare at her and cut her off abruptly.

"You don't know...anything about her. I do. And I'm telling you... _she's not ready_." Her face flushed slightly pink at his sudden spark of anger and she smiled. _That hit a nerve._ There was certainly more to their relationship then he was letting on; whether he knew it or not. Perhaps it was her mischievous nature, perhaps she just wanted to see what he was made of; but she decided she wanted to push the envelope just a little bit more.

"According to you. Have you asked her what she thinks about the idea?" She said, raising her eyebrows at him. He just glowered and turned away. "I thought not." She smirked. "Look Deacon-this is a good play. A good opportunity for us to get some valuable information. Isn't that what you want?"

"What I want-" he started, his voice shaking with barely controlled anger, "is for you to worry about your own affairs, and leave mine be. She's my agent-and I'll decide what's best for her." She giggled at his comment and patted him lightly on the arm.

"My my...she sure is lucky to have such a strong protector looking out for her isn't she?" He was silent again and she smiled to herself. She sure did love to stir the pot. She turned away from him and sighed. "We're not gonna get another shot at this Deacon. This is our one and _only_ chance."

* * *

Deacon walked absently along the beach below the Castle walls. He kicked at a few stones that had washed up with the tide and stared out at the coming waves. It was late afternoon, and he had been putting this off for as long as he could. He heard her footsteps crunching along behind him and he turned to see her smiling at him as she made her way through the sand. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He was not at all looking forward to this meeting.

She stopped facing him and looked expectantly up into his face. He stared at her for just a second too long and found it difficult to look away. Her eyes held his intently and he felt she could see straight through him. He knew how much she trusted him, and that made him hate himself even more for what he was about to do.

He was quiet for too long and she started to look concerned. Deacon cleared his throat and tried to take on the authoritative tone required for such a task. "I have new orders for you Raven. And I expect you to follow them through with all that is expected of a Railroad agent." She smiled at him a little uncertainly and raised her eyebrows.

"Are we moving out boss?" She asked a little teasingly. His gut clenched and he braced himself for her inevitable temper at this idea. He had tried to think of any way around it, but he could find none. And as much as he hated it-he had to admit it was a good plan.

"Not exactly..." he began. "Our orders are simple. Wanderer and I will report back to base, and from there continue to oversee the Synth extractions." He paused. She frowned up at him.

"And...me?" She asked. He let the question hang a second while he steeled himself for the answer. He would have given anything to be anywhere else in the Commonwealth right about now.

"You are ordered to stay here..." her eyes widened and he continued. "You are to leave in two days with four other volunteers to report for duty aboard the Prydwyn. The officer you will be working under is Lancer Captain Sauder. You will be escorted to the Brotherhood stronghold to start your training as a Scribe Initiate with the civilian contingent on the ground." He watched her face slowly drain of color at his words. She was quiet for a moment and he waited.

"I'm _joining_...the Brotherhood of Steel?" She ground out, almost inaudibly. "Why?"

"We need more information on our enemy. A good play would be to incorporate someone into their ranks. Someone they wouldn't think twice about. Someone who could gather intel without being noticed. Someone like you." The waves splashed onto the rocky beach around them and she was silent. Then she turned away from him to watch the pulsating water.

"Who is giving this order?" She asked him finally. He sighed.

"I am."

She pursed her lips and nodded. "And whose idea was it?"

He frowned at the question. "What?"

"Did _you_ want me to do this?...or did _she_ want me to do this?"

Deacon grimaced at her tone. "What does it matter whose idea it was? You've been given an order, and I expect you to follow it."

She turned to him suddenly, her eyes flashing in anger. "I'm not stupid Deacon! I know you couldn't have set this up yourself-and she's the only one with ties to the Brotherhood! Don't you see what is going on here? She's trying to get rid of me!"

"Don't be ridiculous! That's not what's happening and you know it." _Why did she feel the need to bring Nora into this?_ Sure, she had been the one to set this whole thing up-but he seriously doubted there was anything malicious behind her actions.

"Oh really?" Jae asked incredulously. "That bitch hasn't liked me since day one, and she knows I can't stand to be around her. So she went and took the first opportunity she had to get rid of me!"

"Seriously?" He asked angrily, losing his control and feeling his temper rise along with hers. "Do you even hear yourself right now? You've been begging for an assignment for over a year now-she saw an opportunity for you to advance in our organization. A damn good opportunity too! She was trying to help you!"

"Are you fucking blind Deacon? Don't you see what she's like? Or are you too distracted by her _"good looks"_ to see past it all?" That pissed him off. _Who did she think she was talking to?_ Deacon grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her roughly; not enough to hurt her, just enough to knock some sense into her.

"You will obey my orders." He ground out darkly. "Is that understood?" His face hooded over with rage. He couldn't understand why she was behaving this way. But his firm direction seemed to have no effect on her, as she simply pulled free from his grasp and stared angrily at him.

"So I have no say in the matter? You told me I would get to choose my first assignment. I definitely would not have chosen this."

"Things have changed Jae." He tried dropping his voice a little to keep the argument from spiraling out of control. "The Railroad needs you to do this."

She laughed darkly and turned away. "Pulling that old line huh?" He was done playing games with her. She would follow his orders, or he would see to it that she regretted ever defying him.

"I have made my decision. You will report as ordered in two days time for your assignment...or the doors to the Railroad will be closed to you from now on." Jae turned to him with such a look of betrayal that he felt an instant pang of regret at his words. But he had to say them, this was about more than what she or even he wanted...this was about the survival of the Railroad, and all the innocents out there counting on them.

The sun was slowly setting behind her and the sounds of the swishing water around them filled his ears in the heavy silence between them. She took a deep breath and looked down, slowly nodding her head.

"Fine...Agent Deacon." She spat out. "I will do as you command." She turned to leave but stopped short and came round to face him. Her face was inches from his and he felt his heart pick up a beat or two. Her green eyes flashed fire at him and he felt then, that something had been broken between them. When she spoke her words were like shards of glass to his heart.

"I swear I will never-forgive you for this." And she turned on her heel to march off across the sandy shores.


	18. Chapter 18

**_Soooo...I got distracted with schoolwork and haven't been on this site in months. Stupid me had several chapters saved on here for these such occasions...that are now gone...because I haven't been on here in months...to say I'm devastated is a supreme understatement. So...I now have to try to re-write those chapters from memory...yay? I am so sorry to any of the readers I still have left-but it may take some time for a real update from me. It was like 6 chapters guys! OMFG! Unfortunately for me-nursing school takes precedence. I will try and upload soon, but be patient ok? Thanks again if you like my work and I hope I can get back to you soon!_**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 18: Departure**

Sleep didn't come easy for her that night-or the next night for that matter. She found herself on the battlements often, staring out to sea. Her brain buzzed with anticipation and her heart beat wildly with anger. Anger at them both. At dawn of the next day she heard them leave. Wanderer's bubbly voice carried well within the walls of the Castle. Peeking from her hiding spot she watched silently as their figures disappeared into the distance. She wondered if that would be the last time she saw him? Who knew what could happen from one day to the next?

The morning she was due to leave, Jae pulled her tired body off the frame of her cot and sat dejectedly at it's edge. She ached down to her very core, and every last inch of her seemed empty. She felt like she'd lost her family all over again. She knew this was an important assignment, and really; it was an honor that Dez trusted her so much to take on this mission. It just hurt-so-much. She always assumed she would just go on with life the way it was, and maybe someday take on missions with Deacon. They had been separated before for long periods of time; but this was different. It wasn't just him she lost-she lost everyone else too. It wasn't like she could just waltz back into headquarters for a reunion any time she wanted. This was real. No contact...no friends...no Deacon. She would have cried if there had been any tears left in her.

Fifteen minutes later and she stood in front of the cracked mirror of the barracks bathroom. Jae fidgeted nervously in a borrowed oversized coat and tattered Minuteman hat. She was supposed to look like just another one of the people...she thought she stuck out like a sore thumb. As she smoothed her hair under her brim she heard a slight chuckle from the hall behind her.

"Well hell kiddo-wouldn't have recognized you if it weren't fer that hair of yours." Jae turned quickly in surprise to see Rheems standing in the doorway. Her friend smiled broad as Jae ran to her and hugged her tight.

"Now don't get all mushy on me kid...I got a reputation to maintain round here." Rheems playfully shoved her hat down further on her head and laughed.

"What are you doing here? Last I heard you were on special assignment?"

"You're looking at it kid!" Rheems stepped back and gestured at herself. "I'm one of the Minutemen volunteers!" Jae stared at her open-mouthed for a few seconds before composing herself.

"You didn't think I'd let you have all the fun did ya?" Rheems teased. "Seriously though, I'm not letting you go this alone kid. I got your back."

"I'm glad you're here Rheems." Jae admitted quietly. "I wasn't really sure about this assignment..."

"I have faith in you hun, so do a lot of other people for that matter." Rheems looked pointedly at her. It took her a moment but she gathered who Rheems was talking about. Jae just shrugged and turned to gather up her pack.

"Could've fooled me. He didn't even ask me what I wanted. He just...it doesn't matter." A new wave of hurt threatened to overtake her and she hurriedly cleared her throat. She knew deep down he must care; but when he threatened her with expulsion from the Rail it had been like a knife to her heart. He knew how much all this meant to her...and she had nowhere else to go. It felt to her like he was forcing her into this whole debacle.

Rheems snorted derisively behind her, distracting her from her thoughts. "Aw hell kid-you know same as me he didn't have a choice. Orders are orders. And if it had been up to him you would still be home at the Rail." Jae stopped and stared at the bed below her. "And in my opinion-you're being a mite ungrateful about the whole thing." Jae turned quickly to protest but Rheems cut her off.

"This is a big chance kid! The information you gather from this assignment could be vital for the survival of our organization. You have no idea how many lives you would be saving." Jae was silent, reason slowly taking over her anger. "This is bigger than you, me or even Deacon for that matter. We're talking innocent lives here. Remember that." Jae knew it, Rheems was right. In the end, it wasn't about her. She had wanted to help those who could not help themselves; she had sworn to herself that she would. She owed it to them, and she owed it to herself.

Jae sighed and nodded. "I know you're right, Rheems. I'm sorry...I just-I lost sight of the big picture that's all." Rheems smiled and patted her affectionately on her shoulder.

"Buck up kiddo. We got this is the bag. Now, let's get out there and kick some Brotherhood ass!"

They had assembled in the courtyard of the Castle with about a half a dozen other volunteers, all looking nervous and talking excitedly amongst themselves. General Garvey came and stood before them, hands clasped behind his back and a smile on his face.

"Good morning everyone. What a pleasure to see so many brave volunteers before me. I will keep this brief as I know you are all eager to start your training. The task that has been assigned to you is no easy matter. Just know that the work you will be doing is vital for the development of mutual trust between our two organizations." Garvey stopped suddenly and stared pointedly at both Rheems and Jae for a moment. "This exchange program is meant to foster a bond between two powers of the Commonwealth, in that we can both work towards a better future for the citizens of this great nation. Make no mistake-" he looked at them all in turn, "the work you are doing is important. And you chosen few are already considered heroes among the Minutemen ranks. Stay strong, and give nothing but your very best. Thank you all." A small round of polite applause sounded from those gathered around to hear the General's speech. Jae didn't know him well, but she could tell he was a strong enough leader to inspire complete confidence in the people under his command. That level of respect was something to be proud of.

He came to them each and gently shook their hands. When he got to Jae he paused momentarily and smiled.

"Nora didn't get a chance to see you before she had left but she wanted me to tell you she wishes you all the best, and she knows you will do great things. She looks forward to hearing from you both in time." He nodded pointedly and Jae nodded back. So this was it, they were really doing this. In a few moments the small group of volunteers made their way through the heavy oak gates and out into the wastes. Jae hung back near the rear, walking slowly alongside Rheems and towards the looming airship in the distance. Rheems snorted slightly and chuckled to herself.

"Least they coulda done was send an airship." She grumbled. "Guess we're not important enough to warrant the Golden Treatment." Jae giggled and shook her head.

"C'mon grandma..." She chided playfully. "A little exercise will do you some good." Rheems nudged her in the shoulder, throwing her off balance.

"Don't make me regret this now..." But she laughed good-heartedly all the same. Jae straightened and glanced to her right just in time to see a shadow fade quickly back into the barren landscape. She paused, standing stock-still in the center of the street as she stared into the distance, scanning the area for any movement. Was her mind just playing tricks on her? Or had she really seen...

"Hey kid! Pick it up would ya! Some of us got places to be!" Rheems called after her. Jae stared a moment longer then continued on, jogging slightly to catch up with the group. She smiled lightly to herself. She knew what she had seen. And with that in mind she continued on towards the unknown; towards her new and exciting future.

* * *

From the shadows of the burned out bus he watched them walk slowly in the distance. Deacon cautiously took a half-step forward, trying to make sure he was still hidden. She was walking near the rear of the group. Even with that ridiculous hat and coat too big for her he would know her anywhere. He watched her walk, thinking it may be the last time he would see her for a while. The thought sickened his stomach.

She suddenly turned his way and he shrank impulsively back into the dark. From his viewpoint, she couldn't possibly see him. But she continued to stare and he was almost certain she could see straight to him. He held his breath, his heart picking up a beat or two. For what felt like hours they just stared at one another, and he tried like hell to look away. But he found himself trying to memorize the contours of her face, the subtle shading of her skin, and those emerald eyes that would burn him to his very soul.

All too quickly she was called away, and he followed her with his gaze until she was far out of sight. Some time after he turned away, back towards the Rail, and out of her life.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 19-New Beginnings**

The loud humming of the enormous airship overhead was almost too deafening, she could barely hear herself think. Jae stood nervously with the other volunteers just inside the Brotherhood barricades, looking around at the buzz of activity. They had been met just outside by a tall figure clad all in metal and were then led into the belly of the beast itself. There was activity everywhere, her head was spinning trying to keep track of everything she was seeing. Men and women in power armor were unloading crates of supplies into the run-down buildings. Some distance off Jae could hear gunfire as the new recruits practiced their aim at a handful of sheet-metal targets. Everywhere was a buzz of activity, and her senses were simply overwhelmed with the comings and goings of this elite organization. She took a steadying breath as she walked, trying not to trip over her own feet in the process. Rheems glanced her way and affectionately nudged her arm. Jae caught her smile and immediately felt better. Knowing she had a friend here made things easier.

Their small group was led inside the airport to the upper floors. A makeshift barracks had been built in the opening just under the caved-in ceiling. The Knight that had brought them there held up a hand signaling them to wait, as he crossed the space to where a few stern-looking officers stood. Jae had taken some time to familiarize herself with the ranking system of the Brotherhood. Judging by the signals on one of the man's sleeves she assumed he must be Lancer-Captain Sauder; the other ones he was with she was unsure of.

As the Knight approached them he was greeted by a middle-aged woman. She had a build like a lumbering brahmin and a stern face. Jae instantly distrusted her. They spoke quickly and she glanced their way, looking them all over in turn before dismissing them unceremoniously. The Knight saluted and returned to them; and Jae watched as the woman turned back to Lancer-Captain Sauder, clearly unimpressed by this batch of volunteers. She snorted derisively to herself and leaned towards Rheems.

"Looks like Miss Special isn't too enthusiastic with our little arrangement." She mumbled. Rheems nodded almost imperceptibly and continued to stare at the offending woman's back.

"Just remember kiddo-we're Wealth folk. They don't much trust us." Rheems answered. The knight was saying something to them but Jae wasn't paying attention. "Keep your eyes and ears open. I'm sure there's spies on both sides." The Knight finished talking and said goodbye to them all. Jae frowned a little and continued.

"You think they sent spies into the Minutemen?" She asked quietly, then stiffened quickly as both the woman and Sauder turned their way and headed towards them.

"We did." Rheems whispered quickly and then straightened just as their hosts came to stand before them. Miss Special eyed them suspiciously but remained silent. Sauder cleared his throat pointedly and began.

"Good morning everyone. You chosen few have the privilege of being among the first Initiates from the Commonwealth to serve among the Brotherhood Ranks. Your assignment is a new initiative between our two forces that we hope will be of mutual benefit in the future. My name is Lancer-Captain Sauder, and you will be under my direct supervision over the course of your early training. We are building our organization's Eastern Civilian contingent. Some of you may even find yourselves moving on into the higher ranks if you show promise. Make no mistake-" His voice rose slightly to be heard over the slowly descending vertibird overhead. "I will accept nothing more than the very best from all of you. If this is something you think you cannot do, now is the time to tell me so." The group was silent, and he smiled slightly in appreciation at them all.

"Very well. This is Lancer-Sergeant Collins, my second in command." He gestured to the stern-faced woman to his right. "You report to either her or me, but I will be the one evaluating your progress here." A young squire suddenly appeared and produced a stack of documents which he handed out to each of them in turn. Jae took hers and eyed it cautiously. _Paperwork?_

"You have your assignments, I'll leave you the rest of the day to get settled in and familiarize yourself with the compound. Training starts first thing tomorrow morning. Dismissed." He left them quickly and stalked off-the large brahmin-woman in tow. Jae glanced sideways at Rheems and let out a quick breath. She snorted quickly and sauntered towards the newly-made bunks.

"I guess we sleep here then...cozy." She chirped. Jae smiled and chose the bunk next to hers.

"Better than out in the open I guess." She replied, and settled in to read over her folder.

Later that night she sat awake in her bunk, listening to the soft snores of the men and women around her and the distant sounds of activity outside. The Brotherhood never seemed to stop, even at night. She gazed up at the stars above her head and took a deep breath. This was it, the start of her new life. She closed her eyes and lay back, completing her nightly routine silently to herself. She recited their names again, gave a somber goodnight then turned her attention to the one person she had been trying to banish from her mind all day. His face was as clear to her now as it was when she last saw him: strong, determined, and a little hurt. She hadn't meant to leave things the way she did, and her heart filled with regret at the things she'd said. _No matter-I'll show everyone I can do this._ Jae smiled to herself and settled in, anxious for what lay ahead of her.

* * *

Her first few weeks were rough. The Brotherhood certainly knew how to train their recruits. They met for breakfast early in the morning, then trained in multiple forms of combat throughout the day. They ran laps around the tarmac after lunch, and were trained on various weaponry before dinner. The training was intense and very thorough; and she found herself enjoying every second of it. She got so caught up, she had to remind herself to hold back a little. After all-she was just supposed to be a young Minuteman recruit. That didn't stop her from having a little fun though.

With all the Brotherhood had to offer, Jae found herself drawn more and more towards the vertibirds than anything else. The big hulking machines fascinated her, and she dreamed of what it would be like to fly one of them. She would watch the pilots every day, in their constant comings and goings between the Prydwen and the ground. The whole idea of flying seemed so incredible to her. Nothing holding you back, just you, the open sky, and the freedom that came with it. It was a powerful draw.

Of course the fact that it was also a giant mechanical machine didn't hurt either. She was anxious to get in there and explore all the inner workings of the thing, see what made it all work. Any opportunity she had she spent with the mechanics, learning anything they would teach her. She had a mind for the complex inner workings and inter-woven wires that made the whole thing tick. It wasn't long before she knew all about how best to re-route power, boost the jet engines, and re-wire the guidance systems in a pinch. And with her expertise, she was quickly being noticed.

Late at night when everyone was asleep she would climb up into the large abandoned plane and watch the various comings and goings of the night watch. The cool night air brushed against her cheek and she breathed in deeply. She missed him. There wasn't a night that went by she didn't think about him. Since she was still in training, there was really no chance for her to make her drops. It would be too suspicious if she suddenly took a walk outside the walls. And since she couldn't do that, she had no way of hearing from Deacon either.

Jae sighed and leaned back against an old plane seat as she swung her legs casually out of the open side of the old pre-war relic. She closed her eyes and indulged a little in her favorite pastime...fantasizing about him. She imagined his warm, strong arms around her shoulders, pulling her against his firm chest. His hot breath in her ear as he bent down to nuzzle her neck. In these moments she felt closer to him than she had ever been. Almost as if he really was with her. She felt a pull, deep within her...almost like a string was tied between them. Every which way she turned it pulled a little more, reminding her of their distance. Jae opened her eyes and greeted the night sky a little sadly. She was alone...and she didn't know when-or if-she would ever see him again.

The metal creaked and moaned slightly in the darkness. She paused, holding her breath. She knew someone was there, watching her in the darkness. Her heart started beating a little faster as she rose slowly and turned to look behind her. In hindsight...she wasn't really sure she was allowed to be up here.

"Who's there?" She asked with a voice stronger than she felt. "Show yourself." For a moment, there was nothing. Then a figure emerged from out of the shadows and made her breath catch in her throat suddenly.

"I thought I was the only one who came up here.." Lancer-Captain Kells faded out of the darkness like smoke and Jae immediately stiffened.

"Sir!" She started, a little too forcefully. She took a breath and continued. "I'm sorry, I didn't know anyone else was here."

"At ease soldier, I'm not here on any official capacity. I'm simply enjoying the night air." Jae softened her stance a little as he came to stand beside her and stare out over the Brotherhood compound.

"I come here at night sometimes...when I'm not on the bridge. It does my heart good to see all these men and women working hard even while others sleep. It reminds me of just how dedicated we all are to this cause. We are at war here, fighting against the Institute and their abominations every day and working to free the Commonwealth from their oppressive shadow once and for all." Jae said nothing, she'd heard this shtick many times before. It was the common speech they all clung to, and they really believed what they were being fed by their paranoid leaders. She knew there were dangerous synths out there; it was the unfortunate fact that just like humans-not all synths were good. But she also knew many synths who were more human than she was even. Those were the men and women she fought for. The innocent ones, who were just trying to make something out of the shitty hand life had dealt them. She could not, and would not believe the lies these people were spreading about her loved ones.

"As the captain of this vessel, I won't allow anyone to jeopardize our mission no matter how valuable they think they are." She heard him say. Jae froze at his words. Had she been discovered? She tried to remain calm as she turned slightly to glance at him. He sensed her movement and moved to face her.

"I've been watching you for some time. And what I have seen...pleases me. You've got just what the Brotherhood needs to win this war. What I want to know is-do you think you have what it takes to fight alongside these brave men and women against our common enemy?" She was quiet a moment as she let his words sink in.

"You can count on me sir. I know I can do this." Kells was silent a moment before smiling and patting her gently on the shoulder.

"You best get some rest soldier. Report to me first thing tomorrow. I think we may have a place for you among the birds." As he walked past her into the darkness she let out a gust of air in relief and excitement. It was happening. She was moving up. Suddenly the night seemed a lot less lonely than it had before.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 20: Changes**

It was late into the evening when she reached the top of the hill by the Red Rocket just outside Sanctuary. The farmers there waved to her as she passed and she smiled. It had taken years to build up this network of settlements. The Minutemen were now stronger than ever; and their new alliance with the Brotherhood was proving to be extremely helpful in their fight against the institute. It had taken some serious sweet-talking, but Nora had managed to get the necessary supplies and manpower needed for her next endeavor. Frankly, she was surprised that the young elder approved for so much. She guessed it had something to do with the fact that they were working towards the same goal: a way into the Institute.

Nora made her way over the decrepit bridge and into her old home; Dr. Virgil's plans for the transporter tucked safely into a pocket on her suit. At first, she hadn't really liked the idea of building it here...she'd tried to avoid this place as much as possible. There were too many memories. The more she thought about it though...the more it made sense. Sanctuary was secluded, and had more than enough space for it. Plus, since it was one of the first and largest settlements; there were a lot of Minutemen stationed there. If things were to go wrong...they were also going to have some Brotherhood backup there as well-just in case.

Nora grimaced as she thought about that last part. She knew plenty of people here who weren't going to like a bunch of Brotherhood troops stomping about in their literal sanctuary. The truth was, she wasn't about to let those overcompensating tin cans take control of this project from her. She was the one who risked it all retrieving the plans from the Glowing Sea in the first place. She's the one who had the thought to even attempt this insane mission. The Brotherhood were only here give some supplies and muscle if needed. She had made it clear to Maxson. While this was a joint effort-the transporter would remain in Minuteman control.

Only the night watch was awake this late, and she said her greetings to them before heading to the visitor's house. It had been a long couple of days and she was eager to get some rest. Laying back on one of the beds she slipped her PipBoy off and set it on the nightstand next to her. Nora switched it to the classical music and let the soothing piano wash over her tired mind. Tomorrow would be a big day. Tomorrow she would have to call a meeting to let her people know about her plans. There would be some opposition...she knew that. This was their best option. Her best option...if she was ever going to see her boy again.

* * *

Elder Maxson sipped his coffee thoughtfully as he sat behind his desk on board the Prydwen. The Vault-Dweller had left some time ago, and their conversation still ran through his mind. Her proposal had been...intriguing...to say the least. They had been working for so long to get a foothold here in the Commonwealth; and now they had a possible way into the Institute even. Finally, he could give his men what he had promised them for so long.

A gentle knock on his door broke through his thoughts and his long-time friend and commander, Kells entered. For a moment he was silent as the young elder looked him over. Something was amiss. Maxson could tell by the way his friend stood that he was irritated.

"Well, speak your mind then." He finally pressured the older man. Kells took a deep breath and sighed.

"It's about the transporter, sir." Maxson waited patiently, he'd known this was coming.

"That type of valuable technology belongs in the hands of the Brotherhood. Not some...rag-tag group calling themselves an army. That woman is using our materials and our men to secure this suicide mission. Why is it we are allowing her to build the machine on her turf?" Kells finished. Maxson leaned back in his chair took a breath. He knew why his friend would be agitated, but he hadn't gotten this far in the Brotherhood without knowing what the hell he was doing.

" _That woman_ ," he started, "would not have given us the plans to the transporter either way. This arrangement assures us access to the Institute-"

"That's _if_ she and her little militia decide to let us in!" Kells cut in. Maxson narrowed his eyes a little but didn't lose his temper. An Elder had to remain calm when needed, and explain himself only when necessary.

"You talk as though I haven't thought this through old friend. _Yes_ , they will have control of the transporter. _Yes_ it will be on Minuteman soil. And _yes_ I am aware that they can block us from entry at any time they see fit."

"Then why would you allow them this much freedom?" The room was silent a moment while Maxson choose his words.

"Do you really think they can control technology like that? When the whole project goes to hell, and it will, we will be there to swoop in and take over. I have already discussed this with her. She seems confident that her ' _scientists_ ' can handle it. And if by some miracle they are able to make the damn thing work-do you really think this 'rag-tag' militia is any match for the might of the Brotherhood of Steel?" Kells was silent but he could tell his words hit home. "Relax old friend. Our main focus at this time is getting into the Institute. Everything else is just secondary."

* * *

He woke early most mornings, preferring the quiet of the early sunrise to gather his thoughts. Not like he slept much anyways, even less now. Twelve weeks. It had been twelve weeks and not a word. On the outside he was business as usual; but on the inside he was roiling with tension and unease. He filled his days with work, embarking on missions and meeting with informants. He always left early and came back late; casting a pointed look at their head of correspondence as he did so. The young agent never had any news for him. Day after day he would look. Twelve weeks...no news from her.

Deacon walked sullenly along the deserted street in the mid-afternoon sun. Today he was tasked with escorting a caravan of assets from headquarters to a newly established safehouse on the other side of the city. Glory walked alongside, holding her rifle at the ready and scanning their surroundings. He took each step deliberately, moving in time with the heavy clopping of the supply-laden brahmin behind him. As with most days, his mind took him elsewhere.

"What's gotten into you lately?" She asked him suddenly. "You act like someone stole your favorite toy." Deacon stared straight ahead and continued walking. He knew eventually she would give up this line of questioning, he wasn't about to talk about this right now.

"We should make the safehouse before long. If we hurry, we could make it back to the Rail before nightfall...if this caravan ever picks up the pace that is." He finished in a barely-audible grumble. Glory snorted slightly and glanced behind her to the three synths disguised as farmhands shuffling along their path. She turned and stared pointedly at the side of his face for some time, watching him for any lapse in his ever-present mask. Of course there was none, and she settled for kicking a loose rock his way to amuse herself. He ignored the first one, but as the second and then third hit the side of his boot he turned, fixing her with an annoyed expression.

"I miss her too you know...in my way." She stated simply. Deacon said nothing, but returned his gaze to the road ahead. He caught a glimpse of the enormous airship through his peripherals and tensed slightly. They were pretty far away, but nowhere was too far for him. He hated knowing she was there, in danger...even more than he hated the Brotherhood themselves. But it was out of his hands now. He just had to settle with the fact and move on. Hearing nothing was a good thing too. It meant they hadn't found her out.

Late that night he sat in the stacks of the old church, right where she used to sit. He casually lit a cigarette and inhaled sharply, a bad habit he'd picked back up only recently. He sat and waited silently, not willing to end the night just yet. His thoughts again wandered over to her and he cursed silently to himself. How the hell had he let this happen? Why did he open himself up to care for someone as much as he did her? This was breaking all his rules, it was unacceptable-and yet he couldn't keep his mind from straying into thoughts of her. Where she was, what she was doing...was she sitting up like him tonight? Searching the surroundings for some indication of his well-being? Deacon sighed and took another long drag. Whatever he'd gotten himself into there was no stopping it now. His heart was invested; and whether he liked it or not, she was everything to him.

He stubbed out his smoke and rose stiffly to return back into the dank catacombs. As he rounded the corner he met up with an excited young runner. The boy stopped short and his eyes widened in glee at the sight of him.

"Agent Deacon! I was just coming to find you!" He sputtered quickly and hastily produced a small scrap of paper. "There's news sir, I was told you've been waiting." Deacon took the folded note and nodded seriously in assent-trying hard not to show the waves of excitement splashing around behind his expression. The young man grinned happily and hurried off, leaving him alone in the dimly-lit passage. He unfolded the note quickly, nearly tearing at the paper in his haste. Barely two lines were written there, and it took him merely seconds to decrypt the code.

" _Agent Raven in position. Promoted to Lancer-Knight this morning. More reports to follow. -Rheems"_ Deacon breathed out a deep sigh of relief. She was alive...still in enemy territory-but she was alive. He smiled slightly to himself and continued on. For now-that would have to be enough.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 21-A Mission**

The large mechanical rotors spun to life and blew at the sparse grass surrounding the vertibird. Jae leaned back in her seat, which had become comfortable to her almost like an old friend. She adjusted her worn leather gloves slightly and secured the strap of her flight helmet beneath her chin. They were heading out on a routine patrol today. Some scouts had reported a concentration of ferals near a subway station in College Square. Jae was surprised that there were still so many left in this area. It was believed they must have been spilling out from the underground. Jae was to escort a handful of Knights and a Paladin out to the site and secure the area while the others cleared out the station. She glanced out her side window and saw the soldiers headed her way. Her heart leapt when she recognized the walk of Rheems out in front; and sagged just a little when she saw Paladin Danse bringing up the rear.

Since her promotion she hadn't been able to spend much time with Rheems, let alone much time to herself really. As quickly as she had proven her worth to Kells; Rheems had been proving her worth to Sauder. Her many years as a bodyguard, mercenary, and Minuteman made her an invaluable asset in the ground forces unit. She quickly rose in the ranks and was promoted to Knight; embarking on missions soon after. Jae's abilities as an excellent pilot were proven the moment she sat in the now-familiar chair. In the past few weeks alone she had flown over a dozen missions. She flew everything from patrol missions to supply runs. Her aptitude with vertibirds was exceptional, and was quickly gathering notice from some of the more seasoned members of the Brotherhood. Before long, she had been awarded the title of Lancer-Knight, a promotion that had caused quite a stir amongst her peers. No one had progressed that quickly, and there was more than a little jealousy circling around her. None of that really mattered to her though. She loved to fly. It gave her a sense of freedom she never thought possible, and she was able to see more of the Wealth than she knew existed. From up there, she saw the whole world. Endless possibilities lay before her, and she was the one taking them there.

Rheems reached the cockpit first and tilted her sunglasses down to glance up at her. She smiled a knowing smile and winked slightly before climbing into the back and putting a headset over her ears. Jae heard the raspy sound of her voice crackle into her helmet a moment later.

"Aw hell kiddo...If ida known you'd be flyin today I wouldn't have signed on for this gig." Jae snorted derisively over her shoulder and grinned.

"C'mon now Rheems, you ain't scared of flying are you?" Rheems just shrugged and scooted over on the seat to let the other soldiers on.

"Not flying-no." She shook her head. "Now _your_ flying...that gives me pause." Jae was about to retort when an authoritative voice boomed inside her head. She fought the urge to flinch back at the powerful sound of Paladin Danse's deep voice.

"That's enough chatter. Listen up everyone. Our mission today is simple. We are to locate and eradicate the source of a recent influx of feral activity in the College Square subway terminal. As routine as this is-I still want everyone to stay vigilant." He looked at them all in turn. "I'm not losing anyone today. Understood?" The unanimous assent echoed around her ears and he continued. "Let's move out."

The ground signal officer motioned for a safe takeoff and Jae pulled the large machine into the air. The moment she took off she could feel the blood pulsing vigorously through her veins. Her heart sped up in time with the spinning rotors and she grinned stupidly to herself. _Now this was living._

The city sped beneath her as she flew fluidly though the crisp morning air. She felt the slight breeze drifting in through the open bay doors and she breathed in the slightly wet air. The landscape swept by her in a blur as she focused on her bird. She felt every bit of her skin tingling with excitement like she always felt when she was flying. She could fly over a hundred miles in over a hundred missions and never get this out of her system. She felt like she was born to do this; and she relished every second of exhilaration it gave her.

The voice of one of the Knights, Apone, came over the comm momentarily interrupting her concentration.

"Our target is there." He motioned out to the right of the bird. Jae could clearly see the square; some scattered buses and road signs had been utilized as barricades from a long-abandoned Raider encampment. _They must've been pushed out by the ferals._ _Good riddance._ She banked right slowly, coming around in a wide arc so the Knights could survey the area. Two of them held on to the massive turrets mounted in the back, while Rheems and the others held weapons at the ready. Their first pass revealed very little; but as she came back around she saw them. The noise from the hovering bird must have drawn them out, as she saw several ferals crawling out of buildings and burned out cars to circle menacingly underneath them. Danse's voice cut quickly through the silence.

"LIGHT EM UP!" He hollered, and instantly the heavy turrets sprang to life, peppering the ground with bullets and tearing into the crumbled asphalt. The steady _thud thud thud_ of gunfire was deafening even through the protection her helmet provided; and she turned in the air to give the Knights better access to the small horde below them. Their aim was impeccable; and in what seemed like no time at all piles of mangled bodies were all that remained. Jae hovered in the air a few moments longer, waiting to see if the coast was clear. When she saw no more signs of activity she started to descend slowly to the pavement below. A small section of the roadway was clear and she settled there. The bird bumped and rocked slightly as she touched down, and the roar of the engines dissipated into silence.

Danse removed his headset and slid his power helmet on. The mechanical version of his voice pinged loudly. "Move out." The crew disembarked and thudded out onto the pavement. Jae opened the heavy cockpit door and slid out, landing with a crunch into concrete dust and debris. She slid a slightly cracked pair of sunglasses onto her face and scanned the area. After the roar of their entrance the stillness around them was soothingly quiet.

"Vasquez, Hudson, Hicks. You'll take point" Danse motioned to the waiting team. "Apone -you'll enter second with me." They all nodded in turn and headed toward the subway entrance. Danse turned to Jae and Rheems. "Initiate Gorman will remain here with Knight Rheems. Secure the area and await further instructions." _Curt...as always. Paladin Danse._ Jae sighed and turned back to the cockpit to pull her combat rifle from it's holster. She turned back to where Rheems was standing next to a slightly nervous-looking Initiate Gorman.

"This your first time out in the field, kid?" Rheems asked casually. The young man turned her way quickly.

"I've been on a few missions, ma'am. I can handle myself." Rheems laughed and gave him a mock warning glare.

"Don't call me 'ma'am', son...makes me feel old."

"Don't call me 'son'...makes you _look_ old." They were quiet a moment before they were both laughing hysterically. Rheems slapped him affectionately on his shoulder.

"We're gonna get along just fine. Stay here with our pilot a minute, I'm gonna scout the perimeter, see what other nasties might be lurking in the shadows." Rheems glanced her way and nodded. Jae knew what that meant. She had a drop to make inside the old laundromat not too far off. Her job was to keep anyone else distracted while Rheems made her drop. Jae crossed the street to where Gorman stood, staring distractedly at an old advert high up on one of the buildings. Half of the image was worn off, but she could still see what looked like a little girl riding a small yellow horse. Jae chuckled to herself as she recognized the pre-war toy.

"Can you believe people used to buy those things?" Gorman was saying. "To think, wasting good money on a silly toy."

"I dunno...if I could, I would." She answered. He gave her a disbelieving glance. "Seriously, there's something to be said for a little indulgence now and then." She finished.

"I'm no history expert...but that seems like an awful lot of money to me. Money that could be better spent elsewhere." He finished. Jae shrugged and turned away.

"Things were different then. People had a lot more, and things were easier."

"Yeah..."Gorman started, turning to follow her. "And look where that got them."

Rheems joined them shortly afterwards and nodded pointedly in Jae's direction. She nodded back. _Well, that's done._ _Now for the fun task of waiting patiently for the armored muscle to finish what they came here for._ They waited for what seemed like hours before Danse's voice crackled over the speakers from the vertibird cockpit.

"Fire up the engines, Knight. We're done here. Take off in ten."

As the large metal machine roared to life and ascended once more into the open mid-afternoon sky. The loud humming slowly faded into the distance and the ambient sounds of the dead city replaced it once more. The sun slowly began to set on the horizon. Just as the first twinklings of twilight began to burst forth in the night sky, a shadowy figure emerged from the growing darkness. He made his way swiftly across the square and into the abandoned laundromat. He emerged some moments later, the precious document tucked safely into the lining of his coat, and stood in the center of the square. A cloud passed over the slowly rising moon, casting the area in darkness. Before long, he was gone.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 22-First Contact**

Preston Garvey had always considered himself to be a sensible man. When he encountered a problem, he would examine it from all available angles before coming to a solution. He weighed his options, and formulated all the ways plans could go awry and what his response would be if they did. He was thorough. So-to say he was frustrated by being kept out of the loop on her most recent activity was putting it very lightly.

It wasn't often he traveled so far outside the Castle walls. Constant business kept him mainly closer to the city and so forth. So as he made his way through the gates of Sanctuary he found himself impressed and amazed at just how much the settlement had grown. The houses had been rebuilt, farms planted in the open fields. But what drew the majority of his attention was the rather large and difficult to miss reason for his current visit. The massive transporter that would take them into the Institute. Or rather, take _her_ into the Institute. One trip. One way.

Preston spoke with a few of the farmers and learned where she would be. The afternoon sun was high in the sky when he found her. When he had first come here, he had spent days helping her to bury the bodies of her neighbors and loved ones from Vault 111. On a hillside overlooking the gently flowing creek, the makeshift white crosses stood out in stark contrast against the barren landscape. He came to stand beside her as she stared off into the distance. At first she didn't say anything, and he let her keep the silence. Speaking now would have been a mistake. When she finally did speak, he found his frustration towards her and her whole damned scheme wilting in the wake of just how frail she sounded.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you." She started. "I knew you would worry." She still didn't look at him and he stiffened slightly.

"I'm not mad..." He heard her scoff slightly at that. "Ok-I'm not _that_ mad...not really. And you were right: I am worried." He saw her nod slightly out of the corner of his eye and take a deep breath.

"So am I." She admitted. "But you know I have to do this." Preston sighed and shook his head.

"I know. I know I can't stop you no matter how hard I try. It doesn't make me feel any better though." The slight breeze blew at the whisps of her bangs and he felt her hand gently brush against his. He closed his fingers around hers tightly, as if holding onto her would stop her from going. She moved closer and rested her head against his arm as she cried slightly.

"Stay with me a while?" She asked quietly, and he felt his heart practically break with her words.

"Till the end." He promised.

* * *

Elder Maxson woke early generally before muster was even called. He would usually spend his mornings training below decks in hand-to-hand combat for several hours before breaking for his morning meal and meetings. By mid-afternoon, he was usually found on the deck of his beloved vessel. He would survey the Brotherhood base from above, then retire to his quarters to discuss strategy and missions with his commanders. His afternoons were busy, with many reports needing read and requisitions needing signed. As he sat at his desk this particular afternoon he found his concentration waning. The many papers scattered before him seemed like a different language as he stared blankly ahead. Today was an important day. And try as he might, he found he was unable to concentrate on the various tasks before him. Not any of them...save for one.

He stood from his chair and looked out through his window for what must have been the hundredth time today. The afternoon was passing along smoothly, no signs in the bright sky that anything was amiss. No hint, no clue as to just what was happening somewhere out there. So in silence, he waited.

It was nearly evening when he finally received the news. He found himself on the command deck, staring out at the setting sun that was painting the sky in vibrant reds and oranges. He heard the slight cough from behind him and turned to see a young squire awaiting acknowledgement.

"Excuse me, sir. There's been news from the Minutemen." He hesitated for a moment, and Maxson found himself getting impatient for the news.

"Well, speak up then. Were they successful? Do they have a viable way into the Institute?"

"They did sir. We are told they activated their machine early this morning and the Vault-Dweller stepped through. She returned some time ago, intact."

"Excellent news. Send word to our men on the ground. Tell them to prepare for incursion. We're going in."

* * *

Nora sat quietly at the curved wooden desk of the Overseer's office deep within Vault 111 the next morning. She leaned casually on it's top with her elbows, staring into the empty space before her. Her eyes had a slightly vacant look to them as the fingers of her right hand idly spun the gold circlet on her left. The room was deathly silent, save for the constant low humming of the facility's generators. She paused for a moment and leaned gently on her hands. To the casual observer she would appear to just be lost in thought. But he knew her better. The slight hunch in her shoulders, the deep but steady inhale and exhale of breath, she wasn't herself. She didn't even look up at him as he entered the room and crossed to sit at the only other chair to the left of her desk. The metal creaked loudly as he did so and he shifted slightly at the sound. She glanced his way dispassionately and he saw it in her eyes. She could never hide that look from him. She held that same look after the confrontation with Kellogg. That lost, ' _quietly soldiering on_ ' look of someone who had lost everything. He knew that look too well, and it pained him to see her like that. He knew that no matter how hard she tried, she could ever escape her past. The daemons of her present were always there; around one corner or another. And when they came out-all the armor in the world couldn't protect her.

"You heard?" She asked suddenly. Deacon nodded silently in assent. Her eyes glittered slightly and he could tell she was close to tears.

"Is he dead?" He asked bluntly, dancing around the question would do her no good now. She took a steadying breath.

"He may as well be." She looked away. He was confused, but chose not to push her; settling instead for quietly waiting for her to elaborate further.

"I didn't ask for any of this." She started sadly, and he could hear the bitterness in her voice. "Before the war I only thought about my perfect little future. Like, really-who imagines this could happen?" She gestured around and chuckled darkly. "I'm just...I'm done. I'm done trying to make it from day to day in one piece. I'm done with constantly fighting little battles when the big ones are so terrifyingly close. And I'm done with losing people that I love." Nora took a shuddering breath and absently lit a cigarette to calm her nerves.

"Nora-what happened out there? What aren't you telling me?" When she finally did look his way again, her face was like stone and her eyes were hard.

"My...son-No, he's not my son anymore. Shaun is...he's the fucking leader of the fucking Institute for God's sake! How could I look at that man and see my baby boy?" Anger seemed to be quickly replacing her sorrow. Deacon stared back, shocked by her revelation. Shit...last he knew Shaun was a little boy being held captive by the murderers and thieves in the Institute. _Just how much time had passed really?_

"It gets better. The twisted fuck wants me to work for him-and take over the Institute when he's gone." Nora scoffed loudly and frumped back in her chair. Deacon frowned- ' _after he's gone'_?...so that must mean...

"That wasn't Shaun you saw in Kellogg's memories was it?" Nora shook her head slowly.

"Whether it was or wasn't doesn't matter now. I have to figure out what the hell I'm gonna do. Where am I supposed to go with this?" She stared somewhat helplessly at him across the desk and he found no response for her. In all the scenarios he'd played out in his head-he had not anticipated this. Everything they had on the Institute had not prepared them for this reality. He stared silently at her as he realized he didn't know how to help her.

Their silence was broken suddenly by the sound of excited footsteps running down the hall outside the office. Moments later, the door was roughly shoved open and Cait came bursting in.

"Oh-ah...I'm sorry...didn't know ya had company." She stopped short in the doorway. Deacon glanced towards Nora but the small, broken woman who was just there was suddenly gone; replaced by the strong, powerful soldier she pretended to be.

"It's ok Cait. What is it? What's going on?" For once, the fiery redhead was flustered. She looked unsure of just how she was going to break this particular news.

"We've um...we've had word from the Brotherhood." Nora stood slowly from her desk and waited patiently. "They've sent one of their vertibirds. The Elder wants to speak with you. Seems a bit fired up if ya ask me." She finished. Nora looked over to where Deacon was slowly standing, a slight look of puzzlement on her face.

"Well..." she started. "I wonder what I've done wrong now?"


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 23: Mexican Standoff**

Jae landed the hovering vertibird gracefully in the open parking lot of the Red Rocket truck stop just outside Sanctuary's walls. She took a deep breath and tried to steady her heart rate. When she woke up this morning, she had not expected she would end up here. She glanced out the side of her cockpit and saw it in the distance; the transporter. She knew as soon as Kells gave her the order that this was why they were here. Rumors had been going around the camp that the Minutemen had developed their own way into the Instutute. Seeing it for herself was more than she expected, more than any of them expected. She could hear the various chatter coming from the Brotherhood soldiers she had brought with her. Most were in awe, and more than a few were afraid.

They had been ordered not to land too near the settlement. One of the many stipulations in the rocky alliance between the two forces. The Minutemen still did not trust the Brotherhood wholly, Jae knew theirs was a marriage of convenience. They each had something the other wanted. She just hoped in the end, it wouldn't come to a show of force for control of their mutual interest.

She slid out of her seat and landed deftly on the crumbled concrete along with two Knights, Paladin Danse and Proctor Quinlan. She could see the gates to Sanctuary slowly open in the distance and a small group emerged. It was too far to tell, but she secretly hoped Deacon was among them. How long had it been? Four? Five months? It was hard to tell anymore. She just knew it felt like an eternity. The hot sun made beads of sweat form on her brow and she wiped them away hastily. Through her cracked aviators she watched as their little welcoming party came nearer. She squinted in an effort to make out faces. Wanderer was there, obviously. Her bright blue suit stood out in stark contrast to the washed out surroundings. She recognized the folded brim of General Garvey's hat, but there were two others she couldn't quite place. As they grew nearer she saw that one was a woman, red hair, clad in leather and carrying a shotgun...and the other...

Her heart nearly exploded out of her chest as she finally recognized his walk. She could always see right through whatever disguise he was wearing, but it was the sunglasses what gave him away. Jae fought the urge to giggle stupidly to herself as she thought one day she would have to tell him to stop it with the damn sunglasses. No matter how he tried to hide himself, those stupid sunglasses would always give him away.

The troupe made their way up the hill and stopped before the waiting party. Wanderer smiled sweetly at them all even as she held her rifle loosely in front of her. Jae could feel the tension building in the air around them as Danse cut though her thoughts with his sharp, deep voice.

"Good Afternoon ma'am. Elder Maxson has ordered us to come and inspect the machine and make sure it is up to standards." Wanderer continued to smile as he spoke but made no attempts to move.

"Did he now?" She cooed. "Well I'm sorry to say that we're not exactly up for giving tours today. As I told him over the radio not too long ago...Had your Elder even bothered to ask politely we would have told him so...saved you all the trip." Danse shifted slightly in his armor and Jae glanced to where Deacon stood, some three feet behind their host. He shifted slightly on his feet and his jaw clenched. _This wasn't going well._

"With all due respect madam," Danse was curt. He was here for a reason, and she was currently in his way. "That's not within the terms of our arrangement. You are to allow us access to the machine at any time we see fit." Wanderer almost laughed out loud at that.

"Please, I know the _arrangement_ that was made same as you-I helped write it. Now it's true you are allowed access to our machine; but at the sole discretion of the Minutemen and myself included. And I'm telling you: _not today._ " Her voice was sweet but Jae could sense the edginess behind her words. Something had definitely happened, much more than what she was letting on.

Danse wasn't giving up that easy. "That device was built with Brotherhood materials. It is as much ours as-"

"It may have been built with your materials but I'm the one who got the plans for the damn thing." She cut him off. Her smile had faltered, a new fire burned behind her eyes. "I nearly got myself killed in the Glowing Sea for them without any help from you or your Elder. Without me there wouldn't be a 'device' to argue over. So you overcompensating tin cans better watch-"

"Everyone please," Garvey suddenly cut in. "Let's not get carried away here." He stepped forward and gently placed a hand on her arm. Her anger died down a little but some of the resentment was still there. "I have the terms of the agreement right here, and Nora is right. We are to be informed of any wishes to inspect the device in advance. We will cooperate with you-" He nodded pointedly at Nora. "But give us a little time to prepare a report for your Elder. He is more than welcome to come and visit the device himself. Shall we say, tomorrow afternoon? Same time?" The air around them was still and silent as the two parties stubbornly stood their ground. Once again, Jae sought out Deacon's gaze. Though she couldn't see, she knew he was staring right at her. She shifted uncomfortably in the tight-fitting flight suit as her heart pounded rapidly behind her ribs. His grip tightened slightly on his weapon and she could almost feel the anger flowing from him towards Paladin Danse. Jae stood a few feet to the side of the armored giant, and not within eyeshot. Cautiously, she stared Deacon down, and gave him the slightest shake of her head in an effort to placate him. A muscle in his cheek twitched and he relaxed a little. Jae took a steadying breath. At least she knew he got her message.

"Now, we have made our intentions clear." Garvey was saying. And Jae saw Deacon shift his attention away from her. The lack of it made her feel slightly empty. "Please, tell your Elder our terms." And he stepped closer to Danse to speak more quietly.

"She's only just got back, Danse. And she's been through hell. Let her have this ok?" His words were pleading and she could see they were making their way through the Paladin's tough exterior. _So he was human after all._

"Very well. I will inform Elder Maxson of your invitation, but he will not be pleased. We will arrive by midday tomorrow. Be ready." Garvey nodded and turned again to Nora, who was still silently seething a few feet away. Jae chanced a small smile her way, a foreign gesture in their relationship but one she felt she had to make. The woman was not herself, something had happened to knock her off that pedistool she put herself on.

"Men, let's move out!" Danse barked their way and Jae shook herself out of her thoughts. She climbed back up into her bird and slid her flight helmet over her tousled hair. As she waited for the soldiers to board she stole one last glance towards him. Deacon stood stock still, not moving an inch; but she swore she saw him smile a little her way. The gesture sent her heart into spasms and she blushed slightly. She quickly turned away towards the horizon as she lifted the heavy bird high into the air. She banked left, making her way back towards the Prydwen, back towards her new home.


	25. Chapter 25

_*****I know it's been a long while. I've been busy with a career change and moving and personal issues...it's been a nightmare! But I'm back, hopefully with enough content to satisfy what's left of my readers. Let me know what you think and any suggestions you have!**_

 **Chapter 24-Decisions**

Behind the gates of Sanctuary, it's residents were in a form of controlled chaos. There were whispers everywhere, the building of the vast machine, and now the arrival of the Brotherhood had sent the otherwise calm citizens into a slight panic. Most of the people here were innocent, farmers and scavengers. The main thing that protected this little Sanctuary was the wall placed around it's borders. There wasn't much threatening out this far. So the sudden appearance of a military force was concerning.

By the end of the day the majority of Sanctuary had gathered near the center of town. Sturges stood surrounded by his friends and neighbors, all of them firing questions at him simultaneously. He glanced around helplessly, trying his best to control the crowd.

"What if they come back with more troops?" "Do we even have enough guns to fight them off if they attack?" "What about my children? Will they be safe in the vault?"

With everyone talking at once he found it hard to think straight. He opened his mouth to reply when an authoritative voice rang out above the rest.

"Everyone, please! Can we have silence here?" Preston strode through the tight crowd to it's center, followed closely by Nora. Everyone was immediately silent and all eyes turned towards their leader. Preston's face registered complete calm as he stood before them.

"I know you are all concerned about what the Brotherhood coming here means for you and your families. It is an unfortunate truth that they will continue to be a part of this project for some time now." More murmurs, concerned glances. "We all knew when we agreed to their help that this was going to happen. We are fighting a common enemy here. The Institute threatens each and every one of us daily. With this machine, and the Brotherhood's help-we can finally take back our lives and homes." Despite his calm and reassuring manner, many of the residents still looked unconvinced.

"For those of you who still feel uncomfortable with this situation-I have already reached out to some of our closer settlements. They have agreed to help any of you who wish to leave Sanctuary temporarily if you feel it is what is best for you and your family." Some surprised looks, more murmuring. "What we have built here is important. We've made a home for ourselves here. And the Minutemen will not allow the likes of the Brotherhood to take that away from us. If you choose to remain-do so because you want to fight for what is yours should the time come." Sturges watched his long-time friend with admiration. Preston had always had a way with words. His speeches could inspire confidence no one knew they had. And he knew, if they had any chance of maintaining control of Sanctuary; it would be with Preston's impeccable leadership.

"This decision does not have to be made right this moment. Now please everyone, return to your homes...speak to your families...in the morning, those of you who wish to leave should report to me and arrangements can be made. Thank you all." The crowd slowly dispersed leaving Preston, Nora and Sturges standing alone in the dimly-lit street.

"What do you think buddy?" Sturges asked. "Think they'll stay?" Preston sighed and shook his head.

"I certainly hope so. Either way...we'll know tomorrow."

Nora stepped closer and placed a hand reassuringly on his arm.

"They'll stay. They trust you Preston. As do I." He smiled gently her way. "Glad to hear it."

* * *

As the sun rose over the settlement, Preston found himself waiting patiently by it's gates. He watched the early morning mist swirl and hang in the air above the fields and smiled. This is what he had worked so hard for. This place, this literal Sanctuary for the people of the Commonwealth. All those years ago when he had first come here he had known: this was the place that would save so many lives. He just hoped they would be able to keep it.

Some time passed before the first few settlers emerged from their homes. Preston watched with anticipation as they came to stand before him one by one. His heart began to sink slowly, this was more than he had anticipated.

"General Garvey." A man named Brent came forward. Preston recognized him as one of the first drawn in by their radio beacon. He had a wife who was pregnant with their first child. Preston steeled himself for what he was about to hear.

"This is our home, General. For years, we wandered alone out there...never feeling safe." The crowd behind him smiled and nodded. "We're not giving that up without a fight." Preston blinked a little in surprise as he understood what they were telling him.

"We will stay and fight if need be." Brent continued. "No army could take this place from us." Preston smiled as he felt an immense surge of relief. He knew, no matter what, they would persevere.

* * *

Danse knew that Maxson would be furious with the Vault-Dweller's reprehensible conduct. He expected outrage, contempt, anything other than what he saw when he reported the news. Maxson was calm, polite even. He accepted the news of their rebuttal quietly and thanked Danse for his service. He agreed that at the arranged time the next day he should be ready at the flight deck for their departure. Danse was dismissed and left his Elder's quarters puzzled and confused slightly. It wasn't like Maxson to let anyone simply flout his orders in this way without repercussions. Was there something going on that he wasn't made aware of? He had known Maxson for many years, the man had saved his life-and become the mentor he had needed. But overall he thought they had been more than that...he thought they had been friends. To be kept out of the loop on this was more than a little disquieting.

He returned to his quarters making every effort to banish these suspicions from his tired mind. Perhaps he had just been overworking himself, surely a good night's sleep would ease his concerns. In any case-the next day would prove to be a trying day for them all.

* * *

Jae woke suddenly the next morning to the feeling of something gently grazing her arm. She jumped quickly out of bed, pulling her combat knife from under her pillow in the process. It took a moment for her focus to clear and see the surprised face peering down at her.

"Woah...woah kiddo! Relax! It's just me!" Rheems whispered quickly, grasping at her arm and holding the weapon away from her neck. "Shit! Remind me never to do that again." Jae blinked in surprise as the fog of sleep cleared.

"Rheems? What are you doing here?" Since her promotion, Jae slept with the other pilots onboard the Prydwen. She never got to see Rheems much as her unit stayed mainly on the ground.

"We need to talk kid. And what's with the knife?" Rheems shook her head and rolled back on her haunches to stand up. Jae just shrugged and pushed the weapon back under her pillow.

"You never know do ya? What time is it?" She asked as she swung her legs off the bed and slipped on some loose sweats.

"Early." Rheems answered, and waited while she dressed then the two of them snuck quickly past the rows of sleeping brotherhood and down the spine of the enormous airship. She led them down a few sets of stairs then doubled back down near the massive engines so they would be out of earshot of anyone nearby. Rheems pulled two Nuka Colas from her pack and handed her one. Anyone who happened to see the two of them would just assume they were sneaking a quick drink after hours, which happened occasionally among the ranks. It could get them into trouble, yes; but a lot less than if they knew what they were really up to.

"So what's going on?" Jae asked as she sipped the warm liquid and grimaced. She never really cared for the stuff, cherry was more her flavor. Rheems shook her head and downed a large gulp.

"I'm going out on a mission today." She started. "Not too thrilled about the location." Jae frowned.

"Where do they have you going? Somewhere dangerous?" She could see Rheems was nervous, which didn't happen often.

"You could say that...We're going to Spectacle Island. Take off at 1300 hours." Rheems finished. Jae's heart stopped. Suddenly the air around them seemed too thick to breathe and her chest was tight. The island was one of their drop points for escaped synths. From there they would be transported to the Nakano residence to be ferried out to Far Harbor-and away from the Institute and Brotherhood. This was bad. This was real bad.

"Ok...ok we need a plan here..." Jae was thinking hard. She knew that the Rail had measures in place to hide the appearance of any activity, but there was always a slight chance they would be discovered. The sudden timing of this mission had her perplexed. When they had first come here, the Brotherhood had gone to the island once or twice and deemed it a poor staging area for any outposts. Since then, they had pretty much left it alone, outside their radar so to speak. For them to suddenly show an interest in it's location made her concerned.

"I have a plan." Rheems started. "I need you to go to Kells and request to be put on this mission. With you in the pilot's seat you could make it so we don't fly over anything incriminating right? Or at the very least make our arrival obvious enough to give them advanced notice." Jae stared up at Rheems for a moment.

"I can't just do that Rheems." She whispered quickly. "It's not like that up here. Our missions are assigned, we don't volunteer. And even if I could how suspicious would that look? No one requests missions."

"You might not have a choice kiddo, if they see anything out of the ordinary there they will come down those people so hard it'll make your head spin. Then our whole damned cause here is blown."

"But isn't there another way to warn the Rail? Any signals? What about the scout outside the airport? Couldn't they help?" Rheems shook her head and looked grim.

"If there was another way you think I wouldn't have tried already? This _is_ our only way. We have to make this happen-" Jae was quiet a moment as she listened. "You have to make this happen." In resignation, she finally nodded. She didn't know how much pull she had with Kells; but after so many successful missions she hoped it was enough. He'd shown her enough attention and kindness to make her think she had a chance. That didn't make this any easier though.

She nodded and handed her drink back to Rheems. "Get out of here...quietly. I'll see what I can do with Kells. I can't make any promises, but I'll give it my best shot." Jae turned and made her way back through the belly of the airship. She tiptoed back to her bunk and crawled in. The rest of the ship would be awake in a few hours, that gave her some time to think about just what she was going to say to Kells. Would he even consider it? Or would it make her look suspicious? Her mind spun itself in circles as she lie awake, listening to the hum of the engines and the gentle snore of her comrades. She knew this might happen eventually; she just hoped it wouldn't be this soon.


End file.
